A Vendetta to be Paid
by Sandstorm3D
Summary: Crime fighting is an everyday affair for Blossom and her sisters, but some villains push the limits too far…and now they're going to pay.
1. Chapter 1: A Gauntlet Thrown

**A/N: A quick note, I've toned down the Girls' power in this fic.**

Chapter 1: A Gauntlet Thrown

_Blossom's POV_

The wind blew cold across the mountain tops. Of course, Blossom barely felt its sting as she scanned the snowdrifts. Her jeweled eyes searched every crevice and crest but there was no sign of her quandary. The redhead let out a sigh as she glanced at the sky.

Three days.

That's how long she had been tracking this foe of hers. She'd give him one thing, he was good at hiding. That was the sole reason he wasn't behind bars yet. The Pink Puff would have put him there months ago if not for his talent of slipping into the shadows and disappearing like a ghost.

It irritated her to no end! It was utterly ridiculous to think about, a completely normal human, minus the psychotic tendencies, being able to avoid capture by one of the world's premier super heroes. Talk about humiliating.

Blossom had been determined to catch him this time around, the up and coming criminal known only as "The Dicer," named for the state his left his victims' bodies in. In the past three months, he had already committed fifty two murders and all of them gruesome.

She had almost had his ass this time, that is, until he ran into these stupid mountains while she was dealing with his goons. By the time she had finished them all off and disarmed the dozens of bombs he had planted around the city, he had vanished.

By all accounts, he should have been frozen solid by now. No normal human could withstand the frigid temperatures up near the peaks of the Himalaya mountains for three days straight. Even if he had been prepared and packed a mountain survival emergency kit away before he had escaped up here, Blossom was less than convinced he'd survive.

Unless he had help. This _was_ "The Dicer." Not only was he cruel and malicious, he was damn resourceful, either that or just damn lucky. Maybe a bit of both.

In Blossom's line of work that usually equated to help from other sources. Political backers looking to get rid of the competition, crazed sociopaths who wanted in on his path of destruction, or just the everyday joe having his family threatened. All of them could be potential consorts.

Well, whatever it was and wherever _he_ was, there was no sign of him out here. She had been over this span of mountains at least half a dozen times by now. If he had been hiding out, she would have found him by now. That left her with only one disappointing conclusion.

He had slipped through her grasp.

Again.

Ugh, talk about frustrating! The redhead could hardly remember the last time she had faced such a troublesome opponent. It had to be years ago, when she was still in her early teens.

Since then it had been a pretty standard affair. Bad guy pops up, she defeats said bad guy, he or she goes to jail, Blossom moves on to the next schmoe with a tendency for psychotic endeavors.

But "The Dicer" was different. He wasn't just some ordinary psychopath. He had brains too. Somehow, he had managed to always plan ahead and thwart all her attempts at his capture.

She'd raid his drug trafficking facility only to find that he'd skipped town an hour before hand. She'd get a call about a murder he had committed only to find that he had scrubbed the scene clean of any evidence. Always he outsmarted her at every turn.

It was insane, she was freakin' Blossom Utonium! The leader of the Powerpuff Girls and arguably one of the most intelligent people of her generation. The fact that some dirty, low life criminal was able to run circles around her and keep her one step behind was utterly ridiculous!

Unfortunately, that didn't make it any less true.

The redhead let out a sigh as she threw in the towel and floated upward through the low hanging clouds over head. Like it or not, "The Dicer" had gotten away again, but next time…Oh she'd get him next time. And then he'd pay for his crimes. Mark her words.

The flight back to her home in Seoul, South Korea was uneventful and downright boring, but thankfully it wasn't long. It took the Pink Puff less than an hour to travel across half the continent and touch down outside her humble abode.

The familiar sounds of a bustling city and the sight of her snug little apartment lifted her mood a little, enough to where her frown slid from her face and a small, rueful smile replaced it.

She might have failed once again but she couldn't let that get her down. Like the Professor and Bubbles always said, 'good will always triumph over evil in the end.' She fully believed that.

Maybe the problem she faced with this guy wasn't that he was smarter than her, maybe it was just that he had more resources available to him than she did? Sure, she had super powers but even those could fail in the sight of a well-established network of contacts and willing accomplices.

Maybe…the best way to deal with this horrid man was to fight fire with fire? He obviously had tons of cohorts, she was starting to think that it was time she called in a few of her own. One rather violent and no-nonsense partner to be specific.

If she knew her sister, Buttercup would leap at the chance to take down a vicious criminal who was steadily working his way to super villain status. She was only two hours away, stationed in Cairo, Egypt.

And from the last time they had talked a few months ago, the brunette sounded like she could use a well-deserved break from trying to contain all the rogue militias and war bands that were popping up like cockroaches over there. A little change of pace might just cheer her up.

Besides, it would be good to see her in person for once.

One might think it would be easier to stay in touch with your family when they were just a short flight away, but unfortunately, it wasn't that simple.

Being the world's premiere crime fighting group had some rather hefty strings attached to it. The Powerpuff Girls had been forced to change their modus operandi over the years to meet the world's growing need for protection and safety.

Because they were the best, everyone wanted their help and as a super hero is wasn't like they could really say no. So as the Girls had grown older, they had broadened their responsibilities, took on their own challenges.

It was rare that they even fought together as a cohesive unit anymore. Each of them were more or less on their own now-a-days, protecting various parts of the world from evil super villains, devastating natural disasters, and the occasional common criminal if things were ever slow.

Of course, things were never slow.

Blossom knew that when she accepted the task of protecting all of Asia and Australia some years ago, it wouldn't be a walk in the park. Between the billions of people and the crazy amount of natural disasters, the redhead never got a moment of peace. There was always something calling her attention somewhere in the region.

She was sure her sisters had it just as bad with their respective areas of responsibility. Buttercup was stuck dealing with the political battlefield of Europe and the war torn nations of Africa. That was definitely not an easy job.

Bubbles might have had it a bit easier, staying close to home and taking care of North and South America. At least she got to stay with their father and keep him company. That was more than she could say for herself.

This whole set up was a sound idea, it was the best way for them to use their gifts and protect the world, but sometimes the price seemed too high. She knew that it was all for the greater good, but it pained her to be so far removed from the very people who gave her a reason to live.

Justice always came with a price didn't it? Too bad it had to be her family, but like that guy from those Spiderman comics Buttercup loved as a child had once said, 'with great power comes great responsibility.'

And her and her sisters' responsibility was to maintain order and peace throughout the world.

Such was life.

The superhero entered her apartment with little fanfare. It was silent as she took off her shoes and deposited her jacket on the coat rack, but she was used to that by now. She didn't even have a pet to greet her.

It could have been fun to have another living being to help brighten up the dull drudgery of her home life, but it would have also been cruel. There wasn't a day that went by where she wasn't getting called out at all hours to answer some threat or emergency.

What kind of owner would do that to their pet? Leave them alone for possible days on end? A terrible owner, that's who. So she lived alone with no one besides her books to keep her company.

Wow, that actually sounded really sad and pathetic when she put it bluntly like that. It wasn't all that bad though. A bit lonely sure, but she had plenty of time to herself for reading and research when she wasn't out saving the world.

It was a little known secret, but Blossom had followed admirably in her father's footsteps and become enamored by the field of bio chemistry. More specifically, the effects of a certain chemical that had super natural capabilities when it came into contact with various life forms.

She hadn't really discovered anything ground breaking in the field like her father before her. It was hard to justify having a controlled substance like Chemical X left in her apartment when she was gone for a majority of the time. Talk about tempting to potential villains.

Instead, she had stuck with studying the papers and research her father had complied on the subject and adding her own thoughts to them. While she may not have had access to it, learning about the base chemical component that were the building blocks for her whole genetic structure was a fascinating pursuit.

But boy, would she like to be able to perform some experiments with it. Maybe she should schedule a vacation period someday in the near future and go give her father a visit? That sounded like a wonderful idea actually, spending some time with the family and getting a chance at more research? Boom, couldn't get much better than that.

The redhead made a quick mental note to schedule that soon. It would take talking with some of the more prominent world leaders but she was positive that they'd be able to handle things on their own for a week or so. They had managed it before Powerpuff Girls after all.

Rubbing tiredly at her eyes, the Pink Puff made her way into her modest kitchen and searched through the fridge for something to fill her empty stomach. Travel rations and random food bought from street carts had not done her any favors in the last three days. She needed something with some substance and taste. Taste was important.

Hmm. What to eat, what to eat? Maybe a sandwich? You couldn't go wrong with a classic after all.

Giving herself a nod, the redhead pulled out the necessary ingredients and set them on the counter. It was as she was shutting the door to her fridge that she noticed her cellphone lying on the countertop.

She had forgotten it by mistake when she rushed off to face "The Dicer" and by the flashing light on its front, it looked like she had missed a call.

Blossom picked up the phone and turned it on. As she looked at the screen, her eyes widened in alarm. There wasn't just one or two messages, more like _hundreds_. Each one sent by her violence prone sister, sent on the hour, every hour.

Whatever it was Buttercup wanted to talk to her about must have been incredibly important for her to try so hard to contact her. Maybe she had even flown over to speak with her in person?

With a frown marring her lips, the redhead hit the redial button and listened the phone ring anxiously. The first few rings went unanswered, but when Buttercup finally did pick up, it was not in the manner which she had been expecting.

Although, maybe she should have.

"Don't tell me you're just now checking your Goddamn phone?! Where the hell have you been?! I've been trying to reach you for a _whole day!_"

The venom coating her sister's voice caused Blossom to blink in shock. She and Buttercup weren't exactly peas in a pod but they were never this caustic towards each other. They hardly ever raised their voices when talking anymore, and never in anything more in jest.

What had the brunette so riled up? It couldn't have been anything good. Despite the venom in her sister's voice, Blossom picked up something else. There was an undertone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She almost sounded…frightened.

"Woah, woah, I'm sorry. I was out tracking someone and left my phone behind on accident. What is it BC? What's wrong?" Blossom replied, food lying forgotten on the counter as she took a seat on a nearby chair.

"What's wrong? What's _wrong?!_ Bubbles in lying on her f-ing death bed and you wouldn't answer your Goddamn phone! That's what's wrong here!" That wasn't just fear in her sister's voice, panic practically dripped off it as the brunette drew in sharp breaths.

"_Wait_ –_what_?! Bubbles is what now?" Blossom asked in alarm.

"She's hurt alright?! Like really _fucking _bad."

"Like how bad?" Blossom pushed, fear holding her heart in a tight grip.

The brunette drew in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, she's not really going to die or anything, but it's not good Blossom. The-…the Professor isn't sure how she'll recover or how long it will take. Maybe months he said."

That one comment nearly rocked Blossom out of her seat. _Months?!_ That was absurd! The Chemical X flowing through their bodies gave them enhanced healing capabilities that bordered on near miraculous. What sort of damage could have been done to her baby sister that would take months to heal?

Blossom steadied herself with a hand on the counter and swallowed heavily. "Ho-how, how did this happen Buttercup? Was it an accident? Did Bubbles get caught up in some disaster or something?"

"No, it wasn't any of that. Someone did this to her, on _purpose._" A smoldering anger rang through her sister's voice as she revealed that terrible fact.

"What?! Someone did this? A villain? Who?!" Blossom choked out.

The brunette hesitated a moment before answering. "I don't know. The Professor called me the day before last and told me Bubbles was hurt bad and that I needed to come over right away. He said he tried but couldn't get a hold of you. When I got there, he told me that someone had attack Bubbles but he wouldn't tell me who."

"What do you mean he wouldn't tell you who?" The redhead asked incredulously.

"Exactly like I said, he wouldn't tell me." The smoldering anger seemed to roar hotter as Buttercup growled low in her throat. "He said he wouldn't tell me a damn thing until you were here too. Said this involved both of us. So, drop whatever the fuck you're doing and get your ass over here pronto."

The Professor wouldn't say until both of them were present? What sort of villain were they facing if he was holding back that sort of information until they were together as a group again? Whoever it was, she'd find out soon enough.

Blossom shoved herself from her seat and quickly threw her food back into the refrigerator. "Alright Buttercup, I'll leave in ten minutes and try to get there as quickly as I can."

"Good, and Blossom?...hurry. Please?" The Pink Puff hadn't heard that lost tone in her sister's voice since they were children.

That note of fear made her stomach twist into a tight knot. It was so at odds with Buttercup's normal personality, it just wasn't like the tough Puff she knew and grew up with. Whatever damage had been done to Bubbles, it was enough to almost send Buttercup into a panic and that was more frightening than anything else.

"I will, I promise. Give me four hours okay?" Blossom replied, already heading towards her bedroom to pack.

"Alright. See you soon." With that, the Green Puff hung up the phone and Blossom was left with the dial tone.

She flicked the cell off and slipped it back into her pocket as she threw open her closet and dug around for a pack. Thoughts and emotions raced through her mind at a hundred miles an hour.

Bubbles attacked? How? Why? By whom? This didn't make any sense, it was all too sudden. Blossom didn't even know how she felt right now. Fear, worry, anger, and a dozen other emotions battled for dominance of her mind. It almost overwhelmed her and sent her into a paralyzed trance.

Almost.

There was one thing that kept her from freezing up though, and that singular fact was that her sisters needed her. Right at this moment, more than ever before. She couldn't let them down. They _needed_ her.

It took her all of five minutes to pack and head out the door. She had places to be, responsibility to the world be damned. Her responsibility to her family came first.

"Hang on, I'm coming." Blossom muttered to herself as she blasted off into the sky, her pink trail blazing behind her like a banner.

* * *

Four hours later, the redhead touched down right outside her childhood home and hit the ground running. She had pushed herself to her limits on the flight here but that didn't stop her from charging the door at a dead sprint. All she cared about right now was Buttercup, Bubbles, and the Professor.

The brunette must have been waiting for her because the door to the house burst open before she could even reach it. Buttercup came flying out at top speed and bowled into the redhead, grabbing her in the tightest hug the Pink Puff had ever experienced.

"Blossom! You're here!" Buttercup shouted as she squeezed her tight and then pulled back, holding her by the shoulder.

Relief flooded those lime green eyes as Buttercup shot her a nervous smile. Blossom returned it as best she could, gripping her sister's arms in turn.

"Yes, how's Bubbles? How are you and the Professor? No other attacks right?"

Buttercup shook her head and let the redhead go. She must have just noticed the somewhat 'mushy' greeting they shared because a smattering of red was lighting up her cheeks. The brunette had always felt somewhat embarrassed at abrupt emotional displays.

At least that meant she was acting somewhat normal, things with Bubbles must have not worsened any since their last talk. She hoped it was that way.

"Nah, things have been quiet here. I've just been sitting on my ass keeping watch over Bubbles all day. Not even one monster attack call." The brunette replied.

Blossom favored her with a nod and switched her gaze towards the house. "How's Bubbles? Where is she? The lab or a hospital."

Hooking a thumb over her shoulder, Buttercup gestured to the house. "She's downstairs in the lab. The Professor's got more specialized equipment to deal with her injuries than any hospital could even dream of. Come on, I'll lead you to her."

Again, the redhead gave her sister a nod and followed her into the house. The walk down the stairs seemed almost like an execution march.

Blossom honestly wasn't sure what to expect. Buttercup had sounded so distraught on the phone. The Green Puff didn't get emotional over injuries unless they were critical. She had tried to prepare herself for the worst on the flight over but as she entered the lab and Buttercup pulled aside the curtain that separated the lab from the medical section, Blossom knew that no amount of preparation could have lessened the blow.

The low thrum of the machines punctuated the silence as Blossom stood there, staring at her sweet, baby sister in horror.

The blonde was covered in bandages and medical equipment. Stiff outlines under the sheets indicated the multiple casts protecting her broken limbs. Tubes ran from her mouth and nose while an IV hung from her arm and fed her body vital nutrients.

The only part left unwrapped was Bubbles cherub like face. Blossom almost wished that hadn't been so.

It hurt her, almost physically, to look onto her baby sister's damaged face. Bruises and cuts littered every inch of exposed skin. A molted yellow patch colored the entire left side of her face, emphasizing the crushed nature of her cheek and eye socket.

The blonde looked like she had been run over and then thrown face first into a wall, several dozen times. The sight instantly caused tears to spring up in the Pink Puff's eyes as she brought up a hand to cover her mouth.

She understood now, all of Buttercup's panic and fear. One look at the sight before her and she understood perfectly. This was worse than anything she had ever imagined. It was a horrendous act in every sense of the word.

How could someone do this to Bubbles? To her kind, innocent, baby sister?

The silence hung heavy in the air, interrupted only by the beeping of the heart monitor that kept an even pace. That was one small miracle at least. Blossom couldn't believe Bubbles was even in a stable condition with the state she was in.

Finally, it became too much for the redhead and she had to avert her eyes. Looking towards Buttercup, Blossom tried to reign in her emotions and project that leadership air that she hadn't used in years. It wasn't easy but the thought of finding whoever was responsible for this heinous crime helped.

The utter devastation that had been battering her inside gave way to a wave of anger unlike anything she had ever felt before. The more she thought about someone doing this to Bubbles, the more furious she became.

This wasn't some mindless act, this was poignant message, an act of war that demanded a response. And Blossom was determined to answer it. When she found out who did this, they weren't going to be dead, they were going to be _obliterated._

Buttercup flinched back slightly at the look in her older sister's eye. The unbridled hatred she saw there must caught her off guard. Blossom was sure the brunette had never seen her this mad. Hell, she wasn't even sure she had ever _been_ this mad before.

But no one had ever rendered one of her family members in a state of near death before either.

Blossom cleared her throat and fixed Buttercup was a deadly serious stare. "Where's the Professor? I want answers and I want them now."

"And you'll get them." A voice from the stairwell called out.

The Pink Puff switched her gaze and found the man she called father standing at the bottom of the steps, considering her and Buttercup with dull, tired eyes. His face had a drawn, emaciated quality to it, like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. In all likelihood, he probably hadn't.

"Professor…what happened? Who did this?" Blossom asked as he approached them and glanced down at Bubbles' still form sadly.

He let out a weary sigh as he looked away from his youngest and met his oldest daughter's eyes. A terrible knowledge seemed to lie within those careworn, hazel eyes. It was a knowledge that she desperately wanted, no _needed _to find out.

The vengeance burning within her wouldn't accept anything less. If she knew her sister, Buttercup felt the exact same way. The brunette stepped up beside her and they stared at the Professor with the same fire reflecting in both their eyes.

Beneath the combined weight of their eyes, the man could do little more than sigh again. He reached up into his pocket and drew forth a small white card, a photograph to be exact. Giving it one final look, he met their eyes and turned it towards them.

The Professor said only two words as Blossom stared at the three figures in the photo with an incredulous feeling of dread whelming up in her stomach.

"They're back."

* * *

**A/N: Alright and we have the first installment of "A Vendetta to be Paid" A special thank you story for my one year anniversary of my main story "Misconceptions" What'd you guys think? **

**This is going to be a really interesting experiment for me because although this story will be short(five or six chapters at most), it will be the first one that I'm writing without any real preparation. I have the rough draft all written out but I have no chapters prewritten. If you follow me with Misconceptions then you know I like to have 'bumper chapters' to give me a bit of wiggle room. Not so on this project. I will literally be writing each chapter of this story the week it's posted, all while trying to keep up with Misconceptions. **

**So I would like to ask all of you to be patient in this endeavor because this is something brand new to me. We'll see if I can keep up writing 10k words a week and juggle two jobs along with it. Wish me luck!**

**Oh, and as noted above, I've toned down the Girl's power in this fic. They are still strong and awesome, just a bit more believable. (No flying around the world in six seconds type of things.) And also, expect this to be a rather heavy story. I wanted to try something a bit darker for this so we'll see how it goes. **

**Let me know what you think with a review! I'd love to hear from you :D Okay, have a good weekend!**


	2. A Chilly Path to the Depths of Hell

Chapter 2- A Chilly Path to the Depths of Hell

"Is that…is that who I think it is?" Blossom asked in a shaky voice.

She barely dared to believe that the photograph in front of her was real. It just couldn't be. The three figures within it were gone, long gone. There was no possible way…and yet the Professor nodded his head.

"I'm afraid so Blossom. I don't know how, but the Rowdyruff Boys are back and they're the ones who attacked your sister. I hope you understand why I waited to tell you both this. The threat they represent is larger than anything you've ever faced before."

"But-but!" Buttercup chocked in shock as she ripped the photo from the Professor's hands and stared at it with wide eyes. "But that's impossible! There's no way this can be the Rowdyruffs! Those bastards disintegrated years ago!"

She switched her gaze and stared up at the Professor, hoping for some sort of confirmation to her words. Blossom wanted the same thing. She wanted the Professor to smile and say this was all some sort of sick joke.

…but it wasn't. His expression was dead serious as he looked at them and shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry Buttercup but I don't have any answers for you. All I know is that those Boys are alive and well. That snapshot was taken by one of the dozen witnesses at the park where Bubbles was attacked. This isn't a hoax, it's unfortunately all true.

All the sudden, the picture seemed to take on a whole other level of meaning. This was from the scene of the crime, right when it was happening. Blossom drew close to Buttercup's side and leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look at the photo. The blurriness of the picture couldn't cover up the cruel smirk of the lead figure as he floated there in the sky.

Brick, that bastard. Years might have passed since she last saw him, but Blossom never forgot a face. Especially _his_.

The roundness of his youth had fallen away, transforming his features into sharp angles and hard planes. Set within that stone like visage were his twin, blood red eyes. Their color had always been somewhat chilling to behold but something was different about them now, something was…colder. Even though it was only a picture, Blossom could practically feel the malice lying within their depths.

A chill worked up her spine at the thought. It was a malice that had been taken out on Bubbles. This man was the one directly responsible for her baby sister's horrendous condition. And if the expression captured in this photo was anything to go by, he felt no remorse about it at all.

None what so ever.

Blossom forced herself to look away from the photo before her emotions got the best of her. They waged battle, swirling violently inside her mind. Fear and rage, shock, horror… confusion, all of these and more tried to gain dominance within her

It left the redhead completely off balance. She didn't what to do or what to say. She didn't even know how she felt right now. This was too much to take in.

…

The Boys were back, the idea was now finally starting to sink in…but there was just one thing she couldn't understand.

"Why Professor? Why would they do something like this? They were never this violent before, what do they hope to accomplish? What do they want?" Blossom asked quietly as she placed her pink eyes on him.

Her father sighed heavily as he took the picture back from Buttercup's hands and looked at it silently for a heartbeat. Then he raised his head and Blossom looked upon the most heartbroken pair of eyes that she had ever seen

"From what I'm told. Bubbles was in the park helping with the community arts festival when they attacked. She held them off as best she could but it was three to one. They were just too much."

The Professor paused to draw a deep breath, eyes glassy as he looked at his two oldest daughters. "Af-…after they were done, they only had one thing to say. Brick called out a challenge to you two. He wants you to come after him…he said this was only the first step, that he and his brothers wouldn't stop until all three of you are dead."

That phrase almost hit Blossom like a physical blow. Her lungs froze and her eyes widened in alarm.

Dead? They wanted her and her sisters _dead?_ Brick had really said that? She had always known the Boys to be violent but they had never actively tried to kill anyone before.

It had been a contest of strength back in their youth, a battle to see who was the strongest, the fastest, the most cunning. Sometimes the Powerpuff Girls would win, sometimes the Boys. They had come away injured their various battles but nothing like what Bubbles was going through now. It was never mindless violence that bordered on the bounds of psychotic assult.

The silence in the room sat heavy on the redhead's shoulders as her mind tried to process all that had happened in the last few minutes.

The Boys were back.

They had ambushed and mercilessly beaten Bubbles within an inch of her life.

They wanted all three of them dead.

…They would _**pay.**_

Blossom's eyes glowed a soft pink color as the war of her emotions came to an end. Reigning as the victor, rage won out against all the other. There was no room for anything else. Now was not the time for confusion or guilt or sorrow.

Now was a time for action and she was more than willing to start.

Buttercup was the first to break the dead silence in the room. She stood there, head bowed, fists clenched tightly together.

"They want a fight?" She whispered through gritted teeth as she lifted her head. "Oh, I'll give them a fight then. I'll beat their fucking brains into the pavement. I'll burn their bodies to ash. I'll make them wish they never laid eyes on Bubbles. **They're. Dead.** **Meat.**"

If her vicious statement disturbed the Professor, he didn't show it. He didn't even look phased as he stared at this two girls with a deep sorrow. He'd probably expected this reaction since he first found out who the perpetrators were.

There could be no other response. These Boys might have just been ordinary villains at some point, but no more. They had crossed the line big time and if they wanted her and her sister's dead, well, they were just going to have hope they found the Puffs first.

Because her and Buttercup were about to go hunting and they weren't taking any prisoners.

"Where are they now Professor?" Blossom asked in an oddly calm voice given the rage seething inside her.

She would use that anger, let it burn hot and fill her with resolve, but it wouldn't control her. No, she was a master of her emotions and she'd use this one to fuel her revenge. When she met those Boys again, they'd see just how far over the edge they had pushed her. And then they'd regret it for the rest of their_ very short lives._

The Professor slipped the photo back into his lab coat and ran a hand through his hair. "I wish I knew. I wasn't able to pin point any of their energy, they had come and gone before I even knew the attack had happened. It was the mayor who delivered the news to me. By the time I got back to the lab, there were no traces of them left."

"WHAT?! Are you fucking kidding me?" Buttercup cried in dismay.

Blossom could understand her sister's anger. They had just found out that their greatest archenemies were back from the dead and they had no clue _where the hell_ they were?! Seriously?! How were they supposed to get their revenge if they didn't have any idea where those bastards were?

"They've disappeared? You can't find them anywhere?" Blossom tried to suppress her anger, but it was difficult to do.

The Professor held his hands up in a placating manner. "I couldn't track them through any of my systems based off their chemical make-up or their energy burn…however, I did pick up a strange anomaly on one of my sensors after I learned of the attack."

"Anomaly?" Blossom's ears perked up. "What sort of anomaly? On what machine?"

The Professor moved over towards the other side of the lab and left his two girls to follow. Both did so, coming to stand behind him as he took a seat at one of the workstations littering the room.

Before him stood a series of monitors, all monotone in color and showing various parts of the world. The Professor reached up and tapped one of the smaller screens. "Watch this monitor here."

Blossom watched the screen intently as the Professor began the playback. The image remained nearly unchanged as the recording played. The monotone green stared back at her, barely fluctuating. But then, a flash occurred.

"Wait, what was that? Can you play that again?" She asked the Professor, leaning closer to the screen.

"Yeah, what was that flash?" Buttercup added as she hung onto Blossom's shoulder to get better leverage.

The Professor rewound the recording and hit play again. Blossom watched for a second time as the flash flared across the screen and then dimmed down before disappearing all together.

"That." The Professor said, turning his chair around to face them. "Is the anomaly I was talking about. These machines are the ones I built a few years ago when you were battling Him. They measure electromagnetic displacement fields."

Blossom felt the wind had just gotten knocked out of her for a second time that day. "Are…are you sure? It wasn't like a solar flare or a meteorite entering the atmosphere or anything?"

Please let it be anything but what her mind was whispering to her.

"It was no flare or meteorite I'm afraid. This anomaly stands on its own and I'm sure you know what that means." He replied, dashing her fragile hope.

"Um, I don't. So either of you want to tell me? Cause I'm lost." Buttercup chimed in as she took a step back and looked at the Professor in confusion.

Her father swung his chair to face her. "When I built this machine, I configured it to track the energy displacement of the earth's electromagnetic field, or our 'dimensional plane' if you will. It was what Blossom and I used it to help you three Girls track down Him. Whenever there was an anomaly like the one you just saw, it usually represented one of his portals materializing in our world"

Blossom saw the realization hit Buttercup as her eyes widened in horror. "Wait…wait a damn minute…are you saying that this 'anomaly' is like the one of Him's portals? Like from his hell dimension or wherever the fuck he lives?"

With a weary nod, the Professor stood himself up and looked at them both gravely. "I'm afraid so. It seems that not just one of your former enemies is back from the dead, but two."

"Are you shitting me?! What next? Freakin' Mojo Jojo?! I _know_ he's dead. I saw that happen with my own two eyes!" The brunette ranted as she flung a hand up in the air in frustration.

Blossom reached out and laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Calm down Buttercup. Just because the energy signature looks like one of Him's portals, doesn't mean it actually is one. Besides, we destroyed his soul stone remember? He doesn't have an anchor over on this side anymore."

"And how do we know that for a fact? Huh? We barely knew anything about that damn stone or about Him! What if destroying it didn't do anything? What if he's just been biding his time all along?" The Green Puff countered.

The jaded pink of her eyes glinted hard in the light as Blossom narrowed her eyes. "Then we'll just have to finish him off too."

Running a hand through her hair, Buttercup drew in a deep breath and released it. She straightened her shoulder and glanced back up into her sister's eyes. Determination shined in those lime green orbs, the same kind that Blossom knew resided in her own.

"Well, if that's what we're going to do, then we best get about it huh? We can't let those bastards get the jump on us like they did on Bubbles."

Blossom nodded in agreement and let her hand fall away from her sister's shoulder. "You're right, Professor." She looked back towards her father. "Where was that signal coming from?"

He looked back down to his instruments and tapped a few keys. "It looks like the coordinates are eighty two point six five North by negative seventy point six seven…The northern portion of Ellsesmere Island, in the Arctic Circle."

Buttercup blinked and held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa wait…The gateway to hell opens up in the Arctic? You're joking right?"

The Professor could only shrug in reply.

"Regardless." Blossom said as she turned away from the monitors and made her way to the stairs. "That's where we're headed Buttercup."

She heard her sister sigh behind her as she hurried to catch up. "You do realize I'm dressed for Cairo weather right? It's like eighty over there."

Blossom paused her climb and looked back at her younger sister. "Well you best find yourself some winter gear, cause we're going to the Arctic."

* * *

_Boomer's POV_

The Arctic was actually looking kinda of good right now.

Boomer sighed quietly to himself as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. It wasn't that he particularly liked sub-freezing temperatures, but it was a sight better than the sauna he was stuck in now. Besides, after seven years, he was sick of the heat.

And also the décor.

The blonde grimaced as he glanced around and took in the deep red room. Everything was red, or some shade of it. It was like that everywhere down here. From the red gravel floors to the walls made of living flames, red, red, everywhere.

All except the void.

Boomer looked away from the curved walls of fire that made up the room he was currently in and glanced behind him. The edge of the 'room' abruptly fell away just a few meters from where he was standing. Beyond that lay the void, an ever present black pit that seemed to pull everything towards its center.

A few seconds was all he could manage before he forced himself to look away. Boomer didn't like staring into that black hole much. Within the swirling smoke and dust, he swore there were tortured faces screaming out at him. The souls of the damned left in eternal agony and he was lucky enough to have a front row seat. Boomer could convince himself from time to time that it was all in his imagination, that they weren't really the souls of the damn.

That was not something he could do with the furniture however.

Even after seven years, the dozens of empty skulls that stared at him from every chair and table made a chill run up his spine. They molded into the plush red velvet perfectly, emphasizing the obvious attention to detail of their construction. These residual human heads had been placed there with meticulous care, heedless of the lives they might have lived before hand. He just couldn't stop himself from wondering about the lives of those skulls, before they were burned and flayed and put on display as décor.

The whole thing gave him the creeps and it was made all the more creepier by the artfully constructed floral arrangement sitting at the table's center. Red roses, calla lilies, poppies, and others that Boomer couldn't name sat tastefully within the four skulls that acted as their vase.

The dichotomy between the macabre and modern design elements always seemed out of place to the Blue Ruff, but their 'caretaker' loved it. Boomer was certain that if this room had any windows, there would be drapes to match hanging from every single one.

Shaking off his uncomfortable thoughts like usual, the blond moved away from the empty expanse before him. He winced lightly as he took a seat on the 'couch' and heard several crunches underneath him. The worst part about the 'couch' was that it was actually incredibly comfortable. Whether that was some sort of magic or just nature, Boomer didn't care to ponder the subject.

Instead he focused on his brother, sitting on the opposite end from him. Butch was doing much the same as he always did when he was bored.

Lounging back with his feet resting on the coffee table, the brunet was intently focused on seeing how long he could balance a six inch knife on the tip of his nose. His current record was two minutes, quite a feat for some with as much attention deficit as Butch had.

His other brother, in contrast, as pacing the length of the room with his arms folded behind his back. Boomer hadn't seen Brick this anxious in a long time. It wasn't hard to figure out why.

It took a very long and hard seven years, but they had finally made their move. They had sent their ultimatum and now all that was left to do was wait. It was an agonizing affair after all these years of biding their time and recovering their strength. This last day and a half seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace.

If it took much longer for those damn Puffs to get the message, Brick might start pulling his hair out. That would be a sight to see but it would probably lead to a more substantial show of anger that would somehow spill on to him and Butch.

Boomer really didn't want to experience that.

"Ow! Dammit." Butch muttered as the knife slipped off his nose and poked him near his eye.

Boomer snorted in amusement and then struck an innocent expression as the Green Ruff glared at him. It was a good thing they all had invulnerability to a certain extent, otherwise Butch wouldn't have any eyes left to poke out.

"Ugh, stupid fucking thing." The brunet grumbled as he chucked the cutlery across the room and into the void beyond.

Turning around, Butch hung over the back of the couch and called to their leader. "Hey Brick, when do you think those two Powersluts will finally get the message? It's been like a whole day already. Shouldn't they be causing a ruckus or something by now? I'm getting bored."

"When are you not bored Butch? Have some patience for once. They got the message." Brick answered as he slowed his pacing and looked his brothers. "But if I know my counterpart, she's not just going to charge ahead guns ablaze. She's going to form a plan before she takes any action and calls us out."

"So what? We just wait here for her to get ready and then we attack? That's stupid as shit. Why don't we just go back to Townsville now, finish off the Blue one, kick Butterbitch's ass if she's there and then wait for Pinkie and ambush her. Boom, you're done!" Butch said as he threw his hands up in the air.

That plan made sense to Boomer surprisingly enough. It did seem like giving the Girls time to regroup wasn't the smartest idea. After all, wasn't that the whole reason they had ambushed his counterpart to begin with? To give them the upper hand to take on the more dangerous two of the trio?

…But the thought of flying back to Townsville and finishing off Bubbles…for some reason that made him feel a bit funny inside. He wasn't one to play much by the rules but killing a defenseless opponent just seemed…wrong. Or unfair or something.

"No Butch, the Blue one stays alive and we stay here until the other two are together." Brick replied, breaking Boomer out of his thoughts. "Besides, this is so much more poetic. Us, leaving the Blue Puff for dead? It's just like what those Girls did to us all those years ago. An eye for an eye, now _that's _justice."

It didn't seem to impress Butch all that much. The brunet huffed irritably and sat back against the couch again, crossing his arms and muttering under his breath. "Sounds dumb to me. Killing would be so much easier. Then we could go have some fun, destroy some buildings, rob some banks, terrorize civilians."

"There'll be plenty of time to do that afterwards Butch." His eldest brother replied, coming around to sit on the chair arranged just so in relation to the couch and coffee table. "This moment has to be perfect though. Just like I planned."

"And when can we actually move on with your plan huh? When can we go to the next step? Or are we just going to wait here until we die of boredom?"

Boomer looked between his two brothers apprehensively. They weren't exactly glaring at each other but there was a definite air of tension filling the room.

"We'll move on when we're sure the other two Puffs are present. Then we'll strike, just like I told you yesterday. Right now, we only know that the Green one has been spotted at the Utonium household. I don't know where Pinkie is, but she'll turn up sooner or later."

"And once she does, then we'll pounce right?" Butch asked to which Brick nodded in response.

"Right."

"So…" The two turned to look at their youngest brother as he raised a hand. "Um, why don't we just jump Buttercup and get rid of her like we did with Bubbles? Then Blossom would be on her own and we'd be guaranteed victory."

"I already answered that Boomer, pay attention." The redheaded Ruff sighed. "Poetic Justice. Where's the fun in taking them all out one at a time? No, we took out the Blue one to send a message. Now we'll be able to get that rematch and beat them like we were supposed to all those years ago."

Brick clenched his hands into fists as he glared at the floral display in front of him. "Besides, I want to see the look on Blossom's face when we kill her sisters right in front of her. That look of agony and despair, that's what I want more than _anything_."

The tone of his voice sent all the hairs on the back of Boomer's neck standing straight up. There was a malicious quality to it that left him feeling cold inside.

That had been happening a lot lately, or maybe Boomer was just noticing it more? He and his brothers were changing, growing more…evil? Was that even possible? He wasn't sure but something what happening to them. Was it because of their environment? Or perhaps their caretaker's influence?

Speaking of which, an evil laugh filled the air as a plume of smoke stretched forth from the void and coalesced in the center of the room. The smoke contracted and took on solid form, dissolving to reveal the ever flamboyant yet still terrifying figure of their surrogate 'father.'

"Oh Brick, you have such a deliciously evil nature. I knew you would turn out right when I took you three in all those years ago." Him chuckled merrily as he waltzed towards the last unoccupied chair.

Setting himself down, the master of this twisted realm crossed his legs and grinned at the three of them.

Today their esteemed caretaker was dressed in his elegantly tailored red suit with white fur trimmings. His black boots gleamed in the fire light, sharply angled sunglasses hid his soulless eyes, and like always, his giant lobster like claws looked sharp and deadly.

"Having a little trouble occupying yourselves while you await your prey hmm?" Him said with a smile.

"Obviously." Butch grumbled. "Yo pops, can't you just do that smoke thing and poof over to the Girl's house and see if Pinkie's there yet? This wait is taking _forever_."

Him shook his head with a tisk. "Oh Butch, there is nothing more I'd rather do than speed you along on your quest for vengeance but you forget about my _restrictions._ I can only open portals to the mortal world, not cross over thanks to those _cursed __**Powerpuff Girls**_."

The drop of his baritone voice into bass sent a shiver down Boomer's spine. He always hated it when that happened, it made him sound much more like the devil than his appearance implied. The changes that occurred throughout the room didn't nothing to dispel the image either.

The firelight seemed to roar hotter than before, morphing from its 'pleasant' oranges and yellows to a bright, cold blue. The void behind Him swirled chaotically, the torture faces multiplying in a torrent of anguish.

As quickly as the changes occurred, they left. The congenial, smirking lord of the realm of fire was once again his amicable self and the room was much the same as it was before. It was like nothing had changed at all.

And that was probably the scariest part of the whole thing.

"That's why I have you three Boys isn't it my dear?" The wicked grin on his face flashed red in the firelight. "I drew you up from the depths of destruction, nurtured you back to peak condition, and in return you get revenge on those wretched girls for me and yourselves."

Him tapped his claws together underneath the curly point of his goatee. "The time for your justice will soon be at hand. Don't worry my delightfully destructive ward, your time for fun will come very soon indeed. But, like your older brother said, patience is the key."

Butch huffed once more and shot the devil a petulant look. "Well that's lame."

"But it's what we have to do, so suck it up Butch and stop acting like a child." Brick shot back with a glare.

The two of them seemed poised to start an argument but thankfully Him interrupted before anything could begin. He clicked his claws together and quirked one eyebrow up from behind his shades.

"However…there is no reason for one of you not to go over to the other side and observe our current situation. It would be wise to check the Girls abode and see if our last prey has arrived or not. Sufficient time has passed, in all likelihood she should be there now."

Brick gave the suggestion a nod of acceptance and looked between Boomer and Butch. It took all of two seconds for Brick to come to a decision and focus his blood red eyes on the blond.

"Boomer." He barked, causing the Blue Ruff to twitch. "Go check it out and report back here once you're done. No side stops or exploring understand?"

"Understood." The blond stated as he stood up from the couch and walked towards the empty space of the void.

"And be quick about it."

Boomer merely nodded and watched as his caretaker swirled one large claw in a circular motion. From out of the void, a column of smoke surged forth. Whispered scream and the sounds of faint howling caught his ear as the column formed a perfect ring and bursts of red and purple light shimmered from its center.

Swallowing his nerves, the Blue Ruff waited for the light to steady itself into a mirror like plane. Motes of ethereal energy bled from its edge as the images reflected back at him wavered in the firelight. Finally, the flickering pictures slowed and a solemn landscape of white filled his view.

Not even taking a second to breath, Boomer picked his feet off from the ground and flew head first into the portal. His destination:

The mortal world.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Second update for this story and we get another POV. I'm going to primarily keep this a Blossom POV story because she deserves it but I like to see the other sides of it as well. Oh! I need to give credit where credit is due, I'm totally basing my version of Him off of Bleedman's "Grim's Tales From Down Below" comic. He makes Him such a badass and that is totally what I see him like in my head now. Go check it out of you haven't ever seen it, but be warned! There are some adult like themes for all you under age peeps out there.**

**Also I went back and fixed all the mistakes in the first chapter. I apologize for how many of them they were, seriously embarrasing! I really needed to re-read these things like four times before I find all of them. Unfortunately, with this quick time schedule I'm posting on, it's not always possible to spot all the mistakes. So if you spot any, please tell me in a review. I want to leave you with quality chapters, not a bunch of misspelled words and garbage. So thanks for your patience.**

**By the way, a little disclaimer here: I know nothing about dimensional portals or the physics behind it. I do have friend that's getting a master's degree in physics but asking him about it would be like asking for a four hour lecture using a bunch of big words that I don't understand. Please bear with my ignorance in the subject. This is all make believe any way right? :D**

**Anyways, I do this next part in my other story "Misconceptions" and I see no reason not to do it here too. Onward to **

**REVIEWER RECOGNITION:**

**ROC95: Thank you, I hope it continues to be great ;)**

**Lily: Wow, that was a strong reaction. Of course I did injure her pretty badly, which kind of makes me feel bad. It's for the good of the story though! Anyways, your guess was correct, it was the Boys. But also HIM! :D Betcha didn't see that one coming huh? Thanks for the review!**

**Scourge: Yep yep. It was the Boys, not "The Dicer." I mostly used that dude as a set up element so he won't be appearing in the story. I might do a small fic later down the road that deals with him and how Blossom battles him, but that's _far_ down the road. I like this little universe I've created though. I might plan some more stories with in it. *Shrug* We'll see. And man, I didn't think Bubbles condition would raise so many strong emotions...cool. ;) Thanks for the review Scourge!**

**Meleexx: I hope you did fan scream lol That would make my day. And you can imagine Butch in your head anyway you want! I leave the dress and appearance up to your imagination ^.^ Thanks for taking the time to review!**

**Guest: Sweet! Blossom is my hardest POV to write so I'm glad you think I'm doing her justice. And yeah, I think the plot stands out a little from the others just because of how dark it's turning out to be. I'll try to avoid cliches but I make no promises. Here's hoping I keep writing well! Thanks for your kind words and review :D**

**Dirk-Steadfast: Thanks for the review man! I really appreciated those spelling errors you caught. I went back and re-edited the chapter and OH MY GOODNESS! It was so filled with mistakes. So embarrassing. Hopefully this chapter was better. Thanks for the review and I can't wait to go read chapter 2 of your story. I just have to find some time to read it. v.v Maybe tomorrow...**

**kidstandout: Your wish is my command. Hope this chapter was just as intense as the last ;)**

**No-Named-Dude: I feel ya, there will be action in it too. I just really wanted to write a story where the RRB's were actually villains. I don't see too many of those, so I decided to try my hand at it. And yes, I might have a not so secret love affair with injuring Bubbles . . I'm so terrible to my characters!**

**Misei: Lol, thanks Misei. I'm glad this story meets your approval ;) That's my aim! I'm glad I could add a little happiness to your day. I hope you liked this chapter as well.**

**Oh and special thanks to all the people that followed and or favorited this story: ROC95, Lily, Scourge, TheWonderfulWorldOfJazz, kidstandout, and Misei. You guys are slamma jamma!...and no, I'm not quite sure what that means lol.**

**Hope you guys have a great weekend! See you next Saturday :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Into the Lion's Den

Chapter 3: Into the Lion's Den

_Boomer's POV_

Traveling through a dimensional portal was a lot like going inverted on a roller coaster.

A sense of weightlessness takes over as your stomach feels like it's bottoming out. Your eyes might cross or your vision go dark, but the main feeling that pervades the entire experience is the overwhelming sense of uncomfortableness.

Boomer was encountering one such experience right now. The trip through the portal couldn't have lasted more than a heartbeat but it felt like ages as he hung there, suspended in the air.

The blond was keenly aware of the sick feeling settling into the bottom of his stomach as the light burst in front of him and he escaped the psychedelic tunnel. The swirling rays of brightly colored lights vanished before the white, frozen landscape of the Arctic.

That weightlessness disappeared as the cold hit him head on and shocked his system back into working order. Shivering there in the cold, Boomer took a few seconds to rein in his stomach and wait for the world to stop twirling around him.

It did after few deep breaths. And that left him to stare at the raw, open expansiveness of the tundra before him.

White…that was pretty much it.

Even the sky was bordering on it. The light grey clouds covered the entire horizon and blurred the lines between the ground and the air above it. The absence of any sort of color made the landscape seem massive. And here he was, clutching his jacket in a futile attempt to stay warm, a little speck among the snow.

Boy, was it ever cold. He had forgotten what that was like after so many years living in the heat and flames. Temperatures didn't really have much effect on his Chemical X created body but a rapid climate change such as what he had just experienced left an impression.

Boomer rubbed at his arms in an attempt to garner some warmth. He couldn't help but stop a moment and appreciate the irony of the situation.

The only way to escape hell was through the coldest place on earth. Who would have thought?

He doubted his brothers would have appreciated the humor of it all. They were so stuck on business and revenge that he was almost positive they didn't even _have_ a sense of humor anymore.

Speaking of business, he had some to take care of right now. Shaking off his idle thoughts, Boomer soared up past the cloud cover and fixed his eyes towards the south.

Next stop: Townsville.

* * *

The weather was much more pleasant in Townsville than the Arctic, particularly in the park that resided by one of his most prominent childhood homes. The volcano rose up past the trees in all its majestic glory despite its naked top. The lab that once sat there was long gone, melted by the fiery core that once supported it.

Boomer could recall that day clearly despite his best attempts to forget that disaster. It was hard to forget the day you were almost killed and left for dead, lying there on the floor while your limbs grew numb and heavy.

He could remember that part perfectly, feeling helpless as his body slowing began deteriorating. What was less clear, were the detail of his rescue by Him's claws. It was all somewhat sketchy but he could remember fire and heat.

It was probably for the best that he couldn't remember that though, he had witnessed some of his caretaker's _rituals_ before and needless to say, they were not the most pleasant experiences. He rather liked not knowing that part.

Touching down in a copse of trees, Boomer searched the area and nodded with satisfaction. No one was around and his landing had gone unnoticed, which was a very good thing indeed. Brick would have killed him if he gave away his position during this scouting mission.

He had taken a somewhat risky gamble, landing in the middle of Townsville Central Park, but in his defense, it offered him the best chance of escape should he have been spotted. If that did happen, he could just slip into the crowds and blend in with them. Instant escape.

Thankfully, it hadn't come down to that. He was here in the home town of his enemy and they had no clue. Putting on his game face, Boomer walked out from the group of trees and into the park proper.

All around him, families sat enjoying the bright sun. Some played games out in the open fields while other lounged around on picnic blankets and munched on their afternoon lunch.

Boomer didn't give them much thought as he walked by, only paying attention enough to swipe a random hat from one of the empty blankets he passed. The owner would probably throw a fit when he found it missing but it was his own fault for leaving it there unattended in the first place.

Besides, Boomer had much more need for it than him. His mop of unruly hair would be a dead giveaway should he run into any Puffs. Not many people shared the same shimmering golden locks as him and the only one that truly did was lying unconscious in a hospital somewhere at the moment.

Settling the cap on his head, Boomer felt instantly better. He was just another ordinary guy enjoying a beautiful day as he walked the through the park and out onto the crowded streets of Townsville. No one paid him any mind as he weaved between them. So, he let his mind wander.

Idle thoughts and whims ran through his imagination as he walked the pleasant streets. There was one question that bugged him though and that was whether or not the elusive Pink Puff was actually here in Townsville or not.

He really hoped she was. Brick had been livid for the past six months as he tried to find her but came up empty handed. All they could find out was that she made her base of operations somewhere in South Korea.

Not exactly a home address.

Buttercup wasn't any better. They knew she lived somewhere in northern Africa but she was never in one place for more than a day or two according to the people they had interrogated. Both Puffs were always off somewhere, saving the day or some shit like that.

The only person that they had been able to pin down was Boomer's counterpart, the Blue Puff. It wasn't really all that impressive seeing as she still lived in her childhood home. It had been the first place they looked and sadly enough, their only success.

So after six months of frustrated searching, Brick had come up with a plan to draw the wayward Puffs back home. It was a simple concept, beat the tar out of the weakest and wait from the protective older sisters to come running.

It had worked like a charmed. Bubbles was out of the picture and one of the Puffs had come running, hopefully the second was there now too.

He should have been happy at the results but for some reason, Boomer was feeling less than stellar about this whole situation. Their plan had worked, they had taken down one of their oppressors after years of scheming and waiting.

He should have been ecstatic! But he wasn't. In fact, just thinking about the attack on Bubbles left him feeling a bit queasy.

The operation had turned out a lot more violent than the original plan suggested. They were only supposed to rough up the Blue Puff enough to get her sisters attention. Boomer hadn't expected it to go as far as it did.

He had been the one to throw the first punch. It had mostly been at Brick's insistence, more poetic justice crap, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. He had been waiting years for his revenge, and then he was presented with the opportunity to finally get it.

Bubbles had lasted longer than he expected. She was actually putting up a pretty good fight until his brothers got involve, then it just went all downhill for the Puff.

They hadn't stopped when she fell to the ground, unmoving and bloodied. It was like something had possessed him, made him want to keep punching and never stop. They did eventually, but it was only after his counterpart's face had turned into a bloody mess.

…

He could still feel it on his hands, that thick red liquid covering his knuckles, staining his skin. He could still see it too, when he closed his eyes. He could still see Bubbles' decimated face and the horrified looks on the faces of the crowd that had surrounded them.

It made him feel _weird_. He thought he'd be happy when he finally got his revenge on his counterpart but all he felt was cold. Was that was justice was like? The feeling of ice in your veins as your stomach roiled?

He would have thought it would have been a happier feeling. It certainly didn't make _him_ feel any happier…just…emptier inside. Was that right?

The blond frowned to himself as he walked passed homegrown shops and tall skyscrapers.

That couldn't have been right...

Gah! Why was he even bothering with this line of thought anyways? It wasn't his place to question his orders, he was only supposed to follow them. How they made him feel was inconsequential, as long as they got finished.

He'd probably feel better after the Puffs were taken care of once and for all. At least…he hoped he would.

The blond Ruff shook his head to rid himself of those pesky thoughts and tried to focus back on his mission. He was just reaching the outskirts of Townsville now, up ahead lay a sprawling mass of suburbia.

Rows upon rows of idyllic house lined the broad streets in all their quaint glory, each looking much like the rest. All except one and that was the one he had his sights on.

Boomer crept up the avenue, keeping a sharp eye out for any movement as he advanced. He was in the heart of enemy territory now, one false move and he could find himself at the hands of two enraged Puffs.

And that was a position he didn't want to be in thank you very much.

Thankfully, that didn't happen. In fact, there wasn't a soul in sight as he drew closer to the abode of his greatest enemy. It was a little odd, he would have expected some kids to be out playing in the street or a house wife tending her garden, maybe even a father working on his family's car.

But nope, nothing.

The highly paranoid part of him that he got from his brother, was telling him that something wasn't right. It _was _highly paranoid though, so he brushed off the feeling and continued his advance.

Song birds chirped along cheerful as he reached the square home that sported three distinct windows on the second floor. He was at his destination.

Perking his ears up, Boomer hid behind a tree and listened for any sounds. Nothing unique stood out to him so he pushed his luck a bit further and snuck around the back of the house.

The back yard was just as normal as the front had been. A large tree rested along the back fence and up close to the house was a garden filled with petunias and buttercups. There was even a little patio with a wooden table and a pair of matching chairs.

It was rather nice actually, but Boomer passed it with barely a second glance. He stalked around the garden, up to an open widow, and crouched down underneath it.

Again the blonde inclined an ear and tried to listen for voices. And again he heard nothing, just the faint sound of typing on a keyboard and a soft, rhythmical beeping. No talking what so ever.

This left him a little confused and understandably so. Buttercup was supposed to be in this house somewhere and there was no possible way she could be this quiet for this long. She was his brother's counterpart after all.

So where was she? Had she stepped out for a minute? Had she left back to wherever it was she had been hiding herself these last six months, protecting the world and all that garbage?

…No, she wouldn't do that. Not with Bubbles being in the state she was in. She had to be around here somewhere.

And there was Blossom. The redhead had to be informed of her baby sister's injuries by now and if that were the case, she should have been here already. The Pink Puff was the type of person to come running if something happened to someone she loved.

By all accounts, both of the Puffs should have been in the house before him. If so, why was it so damn quiet? That paranoid part of his brain was acting up again, telling him that something was up.

Boomer sighed softly to himself and gathered his nerves. Inching up slowly, he risked a peek through the window into the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, there was no one there.

Maybe they had gotten an emergency phone call or something? That's what they still did right? Fight monsters and villains and all that jazz? Hmmm.

Well, he still had some time and Brick would be super pissed if he came back and told him that he couldn't find either of the still functional Puffs. He'd wait it out a bit longer and see if they showed up. It wasn't like he had much else to do.

Besides, it was a beautiful day. Why not enjoy the normal temperature and lovely breeze for a bit longer before heading back to hell?

Again the blond let out a soft sign and pulled away from the window. He needed to find a good hiding spot. Maybe behind the tree? He might even be able to lay down under its shade and catch a few Z's.

Now _there_ was an idea.

As Boomer stepped back from the window, he felt something tap on his shoulder. And like an idiot, he stupidly turned around to see what was behind him.

He got a fist to his face for his troubles and after that, sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

_Buttercup's POV_

"Ugh, heavy ass punk." Buttercup grumbled as she hauled her enemy down the stairs into the Professor's lab and threw him in a chair.

It wasn't just any chair though, this one had been specially designed to hold captives that had…unusual characteristics, like super strength for example. The brunette fastened her unconscious opponent's hands and legs to the chair by a series of metal straps.

She pulled them tight to make sure not one inch of wiggle room was left to him. There was no way this bastard was going to escape now that they had him. And what a stroke of luck that was.

Her and Blossom had finished their preparations for traveling to the Arctic when the Professor's machine had suddenly started going crazy. Buttercup could only stand by as her older sister and the Professor babbled on in some science techno language about a disturbance in the electromagnetic field.

Not one word of it made sense to her but she could put two and two together. That was the same machine that had detected the Boys earlier. Logic dictated that it was going off again because they had returned.

And that meant it was time for some payback.

So, her and Blossom had come up with a plan. Buttercup expected the Boys to hit Townsville first, but Blossom was positive they'd be coming for them at their childhood home. Why she thought that, who knows, but her older sister's intuition proved correct.

They had waited out in their neighbor's back yard for a good half an hour, waiting for something to happen. Buttercup was just about fed up with whole thing when their prey suddenly appeared, strutting through their fence door like he owned the place.

When the Green Puff saw that their only adversary was the whiny baby of the Ruff brothers, she couldn't stop a feral grin from rising on her lips. It was just too perfect. Instead of having to go search for the Ruffs, the weakest one had walked to them.

She couldn't have asked for a better turn out. And the results they got, yeah, she liked 'em.

Buttercup tested the straps one more time before nodding in satisfaction to herself. Taking a step back, she stood next to Blossom and watched the Professor advance towards the blond. There wasn't a hint of hesitance in his movement as he stole a syringe out of his lab coat and injected the Ruff with strange purplish liquid.

"You sure that will be enough? Has this stuff even been tested out?" Buttercup asked her sister.

Blossom's face was a slate of blank emotion as she glared at the Ruff. After a moment of silent study, she turned her head towards Buttercup and nodded. "It'll work. The chemical solution has been triple checked by both me and the Professor. This power suppressant should keep Boomer out of commission for the rest of the day, maybe even more."

"If only it could take the bastard's power away permanently." The Green Puff scoffed. "I'd paid money for that."

"…Hmmm, yes." Blossom muttered absently as she rubbed at her chin.

Buttercup didn't pay it much mind, her sister was in a weird mood to begin with. She'd been that way ever since news of Bubbles' incident had reached them. It was only natural, but she had expected a more explosive form of anger from the redhead. This quiet exterior was a little disconcerting, like a bomb waiting to go off.

Eh, what did it matter? As long she directed all her rage at the Boys, Buttercup couldn't care less how Blossom dealt with her emotions.

"There, that should do it." The Professor said as he drew away from the blond.

"Have you picked up any more of those anomalies Professor? Can you tell if he was the only one through the rift or not? His brothers aren't outside waiting for us are they?" The Green Puff asked as her father made his way back over to his machine.

He waved a hand at her in a calming fashion. "I assure you Buttercup, my readings only detected one life form cross the dimensional rift and that had to be Boomer here. There hasn't been any other signs of activity, so he must have come on his own."

The brunette let out a grateful sigh and turned to glare at the unconscious blond before her. She was sorely tempted to kick him in the face right now, never mind the fact that he was strapped to a chair and practically defenseless.

Bastard deserved it after all he had put her baby sister through. Man, she really wanted to hurt him. But they couldn't, not until they got some sort of information out of him first.

After that though…

The Ruff groaned as he started coming out of his dazed state. Buttercup had held back on her punch outside, she put in enough power to knock him senseless for a minute or two but not enough to actually knock him out completely. That would have been counterproductive.

He seemed to be coming around though, maybe another few minutes before he regained his senses. That suppressant should work on him and prevent him from using his powers, if not, she could always punch him again, maybe a kick or two for good measure.

She'd really like that actually. The brunette leaned against a nearby wall and smirked evilly at the thought.

"Well, I'll leave you girls to it. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." The Professor said as he took his leave up the stairs.

Buttercup watched him go briefly before looking towards Blossom. Her sister was too busy glaring a hole in their captive's head to give the Professor's departure much mind. The heat in her pink eyes reflected just how _pissed _Blossom was.

It had been a long time since Buttercup had seen her older sister this mad. Of course, she wasn't in too good a mood herself. How could they be? Right in front of them was one of the people responsible for Bubbles condition.

Did she already mention she _really_ wanted to hurt this bastard? Cause she did, a lot.

Boomer finally blinked open his stupid blue eyes that reminded her so much of her sister. He looked around blearily and shook his head.

"Ugh, wha-where the hell am I?" He muttered.

Buttercup answered his question by grabbing his collar and jerking his chair off the ground. Holding the chair at eye level, she gave him a good shake. It probably didn't help him regain his senses but it made her feel better and that was all that really mattered here.

"You're in my house, you son of a bitch. And I don't think you were _invited." _She growled at the blond.

It was supremely satisfying to see the color drain from his face as he realized what type of situation he had found himself in. She could see the fear starting to creep into his eyes as he realized he had been captured by his worst enemy.

Buttercup wanted to capitalize on that fact and put the fear of God in him, but Blossom broke her silent observation and stepped up beside her. She planted a hand on Buttercup's shoulder and gave her a look that said more than words ever could.

With a sigh and no small amount of reluctance, the Green Puff let the fool slip from her grasp and clatter back to the floor. His chair didn't tip over…unfortunately. Buttercup sent the golden haired pretty boy as fierce a frown as she could muster as she took a step back and let Blossom at him.

The Pink Puff turned up the intimidation factor by leaning down right in front of him, her face barely inches from his. Her jaded pink eyes seem to peer straight through him. If his darting eyes were any indication, the blond felt very uncomfortable at her close proximity.

Good. Let the dickwad be uncomfortable. He deserved every ounce of it.

"I was surprised to find you in my backyard Boomer, what were you doing there?" Blossom started her interrogation with a slow, measured tone.

Buttercup had to admire Blossom's self-control, her face was a slate of stone. Not one hint of anger leaked through her tightly held expression. It didn't appear to faze Boomer much however.

At her sister's question, his initial panic faded away and the blond adopted a blank expression. He drew deep even breaths and looked right past Blossom, like she wasn't even there.

The Pink Puff frown mildly at the response but tried again. "I asked you a question Boomer. What are you here for? Scouting out another attack?"

He barely flinched at the mention of another attack but that was more than enough to verify the answer. If he was the forward scout then that meant his brothers were planning to cross over soon. How much time did they have until those two got here?

"You _were_ scouting for another attack weren't you Boomer?" Blossom pressed.

The Blue Ruff remained silent as he sat there, held against his will. Buttercup was actually surprised at his backbone. She could admit from experience, being stared down by a scary Blossom was no fun. It wouldn't be long before he broke though. She was confident in that fact.

"When are your brothers coming Boomer? Did they have a set time for the next attack?" Her sister asked as she leaned even closer.

Boomer didn't even lean back in response, he just kept that same stupid expression on his face and avoided meeting Blossom's eyes. It was starting to piss her off. If this boy didn't start answering questions soon, she was going to have to step in and _make_ him answer.

"Boomer." Blossom's voice cracked like a whip, her frustration starting to make itself known. "You're going to tell me what I want to know. I'll ask one more time. Where are your brothers and when are they coming _here?"_

Her question was finally met with an answer as Boomer glanced at her and scoffed. His disdain was abundantly clear and that in turn, pissed Blossom off even more. It sure as hell was pissing Buttercup off.

That stupid bastard didn't seem to understand the position he was in, otherwise, he'd be falling over himself to answer their questions. She thought it was high time to switch tactics.

Blossom seemed to think so too as she hissed from behind clenched teeth. "You will answer my questions **now** or some rather _unpleasant _things are going to befall you."

Again the Blue Ruff scoffed at Blossom's attempts at intimidation. He looked her dead in the eye and shot her a cocky smirk. It made Buttercup want to punch him in the face, but not as much as the words that came out of his mouth next.

"Over my dead body." He replied flippantly.

That was the last straw for the feisty brunette. She didn't like attitude, especially not from her prisoner. She had backed down and let Blossom do her thing, but that was failing spectacularly. It was time to do things _her_ way.

Growling low in her throat, Buttercup marched right up to the Ruff and held up a threatening fist. "That can be arranged."

She would have thought that her threat would have sent the blond shaking in his shoes, but that wasn't the case. The imbecile laughed at her, actually _laughed in her face!_ Like he wasn't even concerned!

"Please." Boomer said to her. "Anything you could possibly do to me, my brothers would do ten times worse if I talked. I ain't saying a damn thing."

"Your brothers would do worse huh?" Buttercup said, balling up her fists.

Reaching out, she snatched up the blond by his collar again and dragged him across the room, chair and all, towards a neatly tucked away alcove. The curtain that hung from the ceiling blocked the small area from sight but a soft beeping could be heard every few seconds from the other side.

Buttercup yanked the curtain back and viciously jabbed a finger at the unconscious form of her baby sister lying on the gurney behind it. Tubes of every shape and size hung off her still form. Some ran to the heart monitor in the corner where the beeps were emanating from, others ran up to the bags of clear liquid that hung by the bedside.

"You mean like they fucking did to my **sister?!** What _you_ did to her?!" She screamed at Boomer.

His dumbfounded expression only made her angrier. Like he didn't know exactly what he had done! That fucking bastard!

Buttercup shoved him closer to the bed, growling in his ear. "You best rethink your position because I'll do a hundred times worse than your dumbass brothers. I swear on all that is and all that ever was, that you'll never feel a more horrible, agonizing pain in your life than what I will inflict on you if you don't start talking. Are we clear?"

Her threat barely phased Boomer as he sat there stupidly gazing at his bed ridden counterpart. He still looked he couldn't quite grasp what was before him.

That stupid son of a bitch! With an unintelligible yell, Buttercup heaved with all her might and threw the bastard all the way across the room. He hit the wall with a low metallic ring and clattered to the floor. The dent left by the impact did little to calm Buttercup's rage.

All that fear and resentment that had been festering in her mind over the last two days was boiling to the surface now and she blamed this all of it on this conniving asshole! Him and his stupid ass brothers were the reason this was all happening! It was all _his_ **_fault!_**

Stalking across the room, Buttercup marched right up to the prone Ruff and sent a boot straight into his stomach. Once, twice, three times in a row, each one eliciting a grunt of pain.

She would have kept kicking him until he fell back into unconsciousness if Blossom hadn't pulled her away. The redhead had to physically wrap her arms around her and yank her away from the coughing blond.

"Buttercup, **_calm down._**"

It took a few deep breaths and a mighty display of willpower on her part, but the brunette managed to restrain her violent urges. She spat once at Boomer's prone form before turning away from him. Just looking at his stupid face sent her blood pressure skyrocketing.

With her back turned towards them, Buttercup couldn't see what Blossom was doing but she heard her well enough.

"Boomer, that was a very small sample of what Buttercup's willing to do right now. I'm willing to do even worse. So, for the _last time_…Where are your brothers and when will they attack?"

Silence filled the room as Buttercup counted down in her head. Ten seconds passed by with no response, and then she heard Blossom sigh. Steps came up from behind and the redhead appeared at her arm.

Buttercup sent her a questioning brow to which Blossom shook her head with dismay.

So he wouldn't talk huh? She was confident she could get the answer out of him if she had enough time. That was the problem though. How much time did they have before the other two came knocking?

If they freed their brother then it'd be a two on three fight and it wouldn't go in the Puff's favor. They needed answers or they needed to decommission the blond before he could be set against them. The question was how?

Buttercup favored her sister with a questioning look and nodded over towards Boomer. "If he won't talk, then what are we going to do with him?"

The redhead remained silent as she turned to stare at the Ruff. Buttercup turned also and they considered him for a moment. The Green Puff watched as a dark look settled over her older sister's face and a chill worked its way up her spine.

She had never seen Blossom's eyes as icy as they were now. There was a weight behind those normally pleasant, pink orbs. It was a weight that threatened to crush anything that stood in its way. And right now, that was one Boomer Jojo.

"…I have an idea." The dead quality to her voice only added to the ominous air surrounding the redhead.

It was with a large amount of satisfaction that Buttercup watched the Blue Ruff's face turn pale. He might have put up a strong front earlier but right now it was clear he was terrified of the two Puffs before him and with good reason.

Buttercup wouldn't lie, she enjoyed his fear. It was probably the same kind of fear that Bubbles felt when those three rabid animals had attacked her and beat her mercilessly. It was justice that he should feel the same way.

Payback was a bitch wasn't it Boy Blue?

Buttercup allowed a cruel smirk to rise on her lips as she stared down at the blond. "What's your idea?" She asked in a quiet, intense voice.

Blossom didn't reply right away. Instead, she turned around and walked across the lab towards the chemical section. The redhead searched the table for a few moments before picking up a syringe filled with a glowing white liquid.

It was nearly blinding to look at, shining with the intensity of the sun. The light it gave off cast a menacing shadow over Blossom's face as she walked slowing back towards their captive. She held up the syringe for him to see, face cold as stone but her eyes blazing with fire. If possible, his face grew even paler than before.

Blossom spoke only one phrase as she stood there over him and it was probably the scariest thing Buttercup had ever heard come from her sister's mouth.

"An eye for an eye."

* * *

**A/N: Whoo, finally done with that chapter. Man, this week was a tough week for writing. I barely managed to finish this in time. I have to give mega props to authors who write two stories at once, how the heck do you do it? Tis craziness!**

**Anywho, what did you guys think of this chapter? Do you think the Puffs were too OOC? In this fic I wanted to explore the lengths people go to get their 'justice'. Both sides have beefs with the other and both perceive that they are doing the right thing. But sometimes pursuing justice has unintended consequences that turn us from the heroes to the villains. I wanted to explore that dynamic. Drop me a review and let me know how you think I did with it. I might have gone a bit over board.**

**A big thanks to all the favorites and follows this week: Ghost501, Flutejrp, DawnRed, Rose Verdict, Still-Me, and Dirk-Steadfast.**

**Reviewer Recognition:**

**ROC95: Many thanks, I hope this chapter was up to par with the others.**

**Scourge: Haha! Yes! I made the boys pretty bad in this but I like it! A total one eighty from Misconceptions where they're turning good. I get what you're saying about the rage fueling powers and the connection Blossom has with the ice element. I actually forgot about that so thanks for reminding me, I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I write the battle scene ;) Thanks for the review mate!**

**Toby ford: Thank you for the character, but I'm afraid all our players have already been introduced in the story. I'm keeping this short, there are only three chapters left. Sorry. Why don't you write a story with him though if you don't mind me asking?**

**Ghost501: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it :D And yes, I love how Bleedman made him, such a good embodiment of pure EVIL! I hope to do another story that gives him a more prominent role in the future but that's a long way off. Thanks for the review, hope you liked the chapter!**

**kidstandout: I'm not sure whether I'm going to reveal much more about the past with the Boys and Girls. I kinda like having certain parts of the story left up to the reader's imagination. You people can think up better stories than I could ever write so I like to leave spaces for you to come to your own conclusions. But yes, poor Boomer. Things don't get any easier for him I'm afraid, but that's what happens when you're evil. *Shrug* Thanks for the review!**

**Lily: Yes! I'm glad I caught you by surprise with Him! I was hoping I'd get at least one person. I love Him as a villain and want to use him in my stories more. He's just the perfect embodiment of evil, much more than Mojo Jojo in my humble opinion. Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the review!**

**Guest: Your feeling was right! They got him pretty good and now he's a hostage. Brick won't be happy when he finds out. Hehehe! Thanks for the review! Appreciate it!**

**Meleexx: Sweet! Glad you are a fellow Bleedman follower. He's got a great story going, I just wish he'd update more and get the Ruffs in the story finally. I've been waiting for it for like two years! Why Bleedman! WHY?! *ahem* No, I haven't heard of Project K. I didn't get a chance to look at it, but I'll try to this weekend if I have time. I do love fan girling. Also, no news on Attack on Titan yet. I know that the studio behind it wants to do a second season but apparently they have their hands full this year so we might not see it for a while :/ As for the scene with the brother, I'll put that in a tumblr post for you and leave a link on my profile page if you wanna read it ;)**

**Sia: Yep, yep! I laughed when I read your review because you unknowing used the last line from this chapter. It was a great moment. And yes, I make the Blues pay a lot in my fics. I can't help it though! I like putting my favorite characters through really terrible ordeals. I guess I have an inner sadist or something. Anyways, thanks for the review!**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm super glad you like it :D I wish there were more fics like this too. I like the gritty ones, hopefully I didn't go too overboard with this chapter. Thanks for the review!**

**Rose Verdict: Lol, oh it will happen. You can rest assured. There will be blood. Blossom and Buttercup won't stop at anything less. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're digging the story so far :D**

**Dirk-Steadfast: Thanks, physics stuff like inter-dimensional planes is way to above my thinking level, I'm glad it worked though. And I'm glad you're still liking the story despite the grammar problems. Darn jobs getting in the way of my editing time *shakes fist* Anyway, thanks for the review and I'm looking forward to more of your fic :D**

**Thanks for the love guys, it really helped me through the week to know so many people are enjoy this small fic :D Until next week!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Battle Begins

Chapter 4: A Battle Begins

_Blossom's POV_

Blossom breathed in the crisp air as she looked out over the barren landscape laid out before her. Surprisingly enough, the Arctic wasn't as cold as she expected.

No colder than deep space, which she had traveled to on several occasions. Even crouching here, buried up to her knees in snow, Blossom barely felt a chill.

Since Boomer had been…uncooperative during her questioning, the Girls had been forced to fall back on their original plan. So here they were in the Arctic and in front of them, the coordinates from the Professor's machine.

The readings he received when Boomer crossed over matched those of the first attack. The dimensional rift opened in the exact same place. Blossom could only assume that meant the portal was a stationary set up.

She hoped it was at least. She, Buttercup, and their prisoner were holed up behind an embankment to the south of the portal coordinates. If Boomer's _dear_ brothers managed to enter the dimension through another area, then that would leave them in a mess of trouble.

Hopefully that wouldn't happen.

Blossom scanned the snow, looking for anything out of the ordinary…and of course, there was nothing.

Buttercup let out a sigh from beside her. "Hey Bloss? When do you think the other two idiots will figure out their third member is MIA?"

"I don't think it will take too long." Blossom replied with a shrug. "If my guess is correct, then Brick sent him out to check on our position and status. A quick scouting trip so to speak."

Buttercup raised a brow. "And why do you think they'd do that? Isn't that a little too _smart _for them? They didn't scout anything when they attacked Bubbles. They just showed up out of nowhere and beat the shit out of her."

"We don't know that for sure Buttercup. The Boys could have been watching us for weeks, months, hell, maybe even years before they attacked. Just because no one saw them doesn't mean they weren't there."

The Green Puff couldn't contain her snort of dry amusement. "You really think _Butch_ could sneak around for months and go undiscovered?"

A well stated point, but her dear sister was forgetting one detail.

"Brick. Butch might be an idiot but if Brick tells him to do something, he'll do it and that includes keeping a low profile."

Silence followed her words as Buttercup chewed on that thought. After a moment, she shrugged in resignation.

"Fine, maybe he would. But still, how long are they gonna keep us waiting? I'm getting sick and tired of standing out here. It's been like three hours already and that's _not_ including the flight time it took carrying this lug." Buttercup kicked the prone form of their prisoner.

"As soon as they realize he's missing, they'll come looking for him." Blossom murmured in reply as she looked at the unconscious blond.

He hadn't moved at all since they had landed. He hadn't moved since they had injected him back at the lab actually. Blossom wasn't sure how to take that. She had no clue when he might wake up, or if he even _would_ wake up.

She had only given him a half dose but this was uncharted territory. No one had ever studied the effects of Antidote X on a being made of its counter chemical. Lucky Boomer got the wonderful position of first official guinea pig.

To tell the truth, Blossom found the entire process fascinating.

The fact that his whole atomic structure hadn't broken down the instant Antidote X was introduced to his blood stream was not something she had anticipated. The redhead had fully expected the blond to disintegrate before her eyes when she administered the drug, but he hadn't. That was more than enough to send her mind whirling with questions and hypotheses.

She believed that there was a direct correlation between the quantity of Antidote X that was administered to the patient and the effects it had on him or her. The more of the chemical that was introduced into the body, the worse effects it had on them. Hopefully, the full dose would induce an entire chemical breakdown that resulted in disintegration.

Since Boomer had only been given half a dose, his physical being had somehow managed to stay together. The effects on his powers however, still remained to be seen. Something had to have happened though

Before they left for the Arctic, she and the Professor had taken a few blood samples from their 'patient'. They hadn't much time to look at them before the Girls left, but there was a definite change in the chemical makeup of it. The Professor was analyzing it further while they were out and would most likely have some interesting finds for her to pursue when she got back.

Not _if _she got back, _when._

She was making it out of this frozen wasteland alive. She couldn't say the same for the Rowdyruffs though.

Blossom blinked out of her thoughts as Buttercup pulled out a syringe from her pocket and held it up to the dull light of the sun. The glowing, white substance cast a hard shadow over her eyes, masking the emotion lurking in them and making it almost impossible to tell what she was thinking about.

"…hey…Blossom?" Buttercup ventured hesitantly.

"Yeah?" The redhead replied with a frown of concern wrinkling her brow.

It had been a long time since Blossom had heard any sort of uncertainty in her sister's voice, disregarding Bubbles' whole situation. She certainly didn't expect to hear it from the fierce brunette now of all times. Their prey could arrive at any moment. If anything, Buttercup should have been antsy with excitement.

Only…she wasn't.

Troubled, green eyes found her pink ones as Buttercup looked away from the vial of deadly liquid. "Is this…really the right thing to do? Kill them I mean?"

The Pink Puff could barely contain her shock as she blinked stupidly, taken off guard by her sister's uncharacteristic sentimentality. Buttercup was actually questioning whether taking out the world's worst threat to peace was a _good_ idea?

"…Buttercup…this was _your_ whole idea in the first place! You wanted to make them pay remember? They hurt Bubbles and they want to hurt us next. We can't let that go!"

"I know, I know, I know." Buttercup sighed and rubbed at the back of neck. "But I can't help thinking that-"

The brunette cut herself off and looked down at the ground. She idly grabbed a handful of snow and let it slip through her fingers as she searched for the right words. Or maybe she already knew them but didn't want to speak them out loud.

"That?" Blossom ventured.

"…that Bubbles wouldn't want this. You know how she is, she wouldn't want us getting revenge and having blood on our hands. What we're going to do, this isn't a temporary thing Blossom. This is permanent. There's no coming back from this once we cross that line."

Buttercup let the last of the snow drop from her hand and looked her sister dead in the eye. "If we go thought with this plan, the Boys will be _dead_…forever this time around. No disappeared, not missing in action. Stone cold d_ead._"

The wind howled across the tundra as both sisters sat in silence and let the implications of that statement sink it. What Buttercup said was true of course, there were no take backs or redos from something like this.

What they were about to do was murder, justifiable murder but murder none the less. Was she, as a super hero and an upholder of justice, willing to take that step to get her vengeance?

Was she willing to kill someone?

It wouldn't be the first time, but she had never done so intentionally before. Blossom had never gone after a villain with the intent to end their life. Most of the kills she had made over the years had been acts of desperation or accidents on the bad guy's part. It was surprising how many people would rather shoot themselves than go to jail.

This was different. She was _planning _on killing the Boys. Was that was a defender of justice did? Could she even call herself a super hero anymore if she went through this?

…

It was tough decision, but the cards were stacked against her and this was the best that Blossom could do. The Boys had started this whole thing by attacking her baby sister and they wouldn't stop until one of their groups was destroyed.

That left her with little choice in the matter. She and Buttercup would fight, they might not like the lengths they'd have to go to in order to win, but they would do whatever it took. She'd have to deal with the philosophical fallout afterwards.

Blossom laid a hand gently on Buttercup's shoulder as she drew a deep breath. "Buttercup, you're right. This isn't what Bubbles would want, but we don't have a choice in the matter. The Boys didn't attack Bubbles and beat her half to death just to goad us into a normal fight."

Her hand tightened its grip on her sister's shoulder as a frown stole across the redhead's face. "This time, it's a battle to the end. One of our groups isn't leaving this place alive. I wish it hadn't come to this but it has and I can't change that. The only thing we can do is act first before they try and wipe us out. They brought this upon themselves."

Buttercup's eyes glowed with a sad gleam of understanding. She knew all this already. It didn't make it any easier to swallow though. To willing take a life? That was tall order and Blossom would understand if her younger sister couldn't go through with it.

If Buttercup couldn't find the determination to do what needed to be done, Blossom would take the act upon herself. She'd take all the blame, all the blood on her hands, if Buttercup said no. That was the length she was willing to go to keep her and her sisters alive.

A quiet moment held between the two of them until a hard look took over her younger sister's face. Buttercup's eyes turned flinty as she gave Blossom a slow nod.

"You're right. The Boys started all this. They hurt Bubbles on purpose and want to kill us all. We can't let that happen. If killing them is the only way to do that, then so be it."

The weight of her words seemed to fill the air, like a great sense of terrible knowledge was just laid across their shoulders. It had come down to kill or be killed and that made Blossom feel less that stellar.

This wasn't what she had signed up for when she became a super hero, but she _was_ super hero. That meant she had to do whatever it took to keep the world safe, to keep her family safe. And Buttercup would too.

Blossom let her hand slide from the brunette's shoulder and smiled ruefully. Buttercup returned it with a bittersweet smirk of her own. They knew what they had to do and they accepted the consequences of it.

All that was left was to do it.

As if summoned by their decision, a strange sound broke through the howling winds and caught the Girls' attention. Blossom nodded to her younger sister and they crawled up the snow embankment and peeked over the edge.

Floating in the shallow valley beneath them was a shimmering, mirror like disk. It bled tendrils of energy in shades of red and orange, making the snowy ground seem as if it were on fire. It was surprisingly beautiful for what it represented.

Blossom knew the moment she laid eyes on that disk that they had found their portal to hell. And out from it came two unfortunately familiar devils.

Neither Brick or Butch had changed much since she had last fought them. They were taller of course, more muscled and lean. There was also a more cruel cast to their face than what she remembered, a darkness that lurked in their eyes.

Even from this distance, she could feel the malice radiating from them. It was like they had touched the edge of death and kept some of it inside. They were more than just villains now, they were something worse.

Frankly, it frightened her.

Blossom swallowed roughly and quietly slid back down the hill. She grabbed Boomer's unconscious form and looked towards her sister.

"Get ready BC, on my signal we implement the plan. And let me do all the talking remember?" The redhead murmured as quietly as she could.

"Yeah, yeah." Buttercup replied absently, her mind already in combat mode.

Giving her mental check list one last run through, Blossom nodded to herself. They had done all they could. They had the Antidote X, they had a plan, all they needed was an opening. Show time.

Blossom lifted off from the ground and flew over the embankment. Buttercup followed just behind her as they came to a stop a few dozen meters from their counterparts. The effects were almost instantaneously.

The temperature felt like it dropped fifteen degrees in a manner of seconds as Brick narrowed his fearsome eyes at her. Blossom responded in kind and glared right back as she floated there with his unconscious brother on her shoulder.

Buttercup and Butch seemed to be in their own little world, glaring at each other with the inferno like intensity. All it would take was one sudden movement to send those two into a battle that would likely destroy most of the surrounding area.

She really hoped her sister remembered the plan and stuck to it. They couldn't afford to fight toe to toe with these two Ruffs, not with everything on the line.

Brick was the first one to break the silence, bearing his teeth at her in a grimace. "What's all this about?"

"What do you think?" She snapped in reply, causing his frown to deepen. "A sibling for a sibling. You took out Bubbles, it's only fair that we take out Boomer in return."

Not a hint of concern or shock colored Brick's face as she finished. He didn't look like he cared one wit about what she just said, in fact, he actually had the nerve to smirk at her! It was cold smirk that held all the self-assurance of the world.

Her counterpart crossed his arms over his chest and let out a low chuckle. The sound of his laughter was even more disturbing than the look in his eyes. It was deep and cruel…almost like Him's laugh.

"Take out Boomer? What? Did you heckle him to death? Give him a stern lecture? Because he looks just fine to me, not one scratch on him. Or are you planning on hurting him in front of us?" He quirked a brow and his smirk grew bigger. "That's a little dark for you. In case you've forgotten, you're the good guys remember?"

From beside him, Butch let out a snort of amusement. He was still glaring holes into Buttercup's head but he was also managing to pay attention to the conversation. That was different for the likes of him. Blossom had to keep in mind that these weren't the same Boys from years ago.

They had changed but so had she.

The redhead brushed off the mockery her counterpart threw at her and adjusted her grip on Boomer. She just needed to keep Brick focused on talking until the prime opportunity presented itself to attack.

That shouldn't be too hard. The bastard seemed to like the sound of his own voice.

"I might be a good guy but that doesn't mean I won't retaliate. You hurt Bubbles, badly. That's unforgivable in my book. I hope you're ready to face the consequences." Blossom stated with narrowed eyes.

Brick chuckled yet again and favored her with a sardonic grin. "Consequences? That sounds ominous. Are you planning on giving _me_ a stern lecture as well? Oh, I don't think I could bear it!"

The dramatics of his older brother caused Butch to chortle to himself. Neither Ruff seemed the least bit concerned by her or Buttercup's presence or threats. They were cocky, completely confident in their skills and powers to a point that was almost insufferable.

And that's what would lead to their downfall.

Brick wiped a pretend tear from his eye and looked towards his counterpart. "So…what _are _you going to do hmm? I'm curious."

"I'm going to end you." The Pink Puff said in a deadly serious voice.

Before Brick could do much more than raise a brow in question, Blossom was already moving. She let out a sharp whistle as she hurled Boomer's unconscious body towards his older brother. Grabbing the Antidote X from her pocket, Blossom launched herself at her counterpart.

Boomer's body blocked most of her sight but the same was true for Brick as well. He couldn't see her following right behind his brother's comatose body. She'd have the element of surprise on her side.

The redhead caught a flash of movement from the corner of her eye which she assumed was Buttercup springing her own attack. Buttercup didn't have that extra cushion, she was rushing Butch head on. That could turn into a potential train wreck if she was just a hair too slow or he recovered faster than she anticipated.

Blossom pushed aside the errant thought and focused all her attention on reaching her counterpart. Buttercup would deal with Butch, she had her own Ruff to worry about.

When Brick caught Boomer, she'd have him right where she wanted him. He'd be encumbered and left completely open for her to inject the deadly payload she carried. Blossom readied the syringe as she flew ever closer towards her counterpart.

The sound of a masculine cry from Buttercup's direction informed the redhead that her sister had been successful on her sneak attack. At this exact moment, Butch was getting the full brunt of Antidote X and in mere moments he'd be nothing more than a pile of dust.

All that left was Brick.

Unfortunately for her, Brick wasn't going down that easily. Instead of moving to catch his helpless brother as he flew towards him, the bastard simply dodged to the side to avoid the collision. Brick barely blinked as Boomer soared right past him.

Blossom was so caught off guard by the heartless move that she left herself wide open for the swift punch Brick sent to her face. The brute force of it stopped her dead in her tracks and sent her flying back the way she came.

Hitting the ground with a grunt, Blossom rolled with the momentum and was up on her feet a moment later. Snow clouded the air as her impact sent a shockwave through the ground and rendered her practically blind.

As such, Blossom didn't see a hand reached down a grabbed hold of her jacket. The sudden feeling of being caught sent her into an instinct fueled retaliation. The redhead slammed her hand into the crux of her attackers elbow and spun away.

She needed to get space before Brick could-

"Hey watch it!" A familiar voice snapped, causing her to stop in her tracks.

Blinking past the snow, Blossom felt a blush heat up her cheeks as Buttercup floated closer and gave her a frown.

"It's just me."

"Butch?" Blossom asked hopefully.

Buttercup grimaced and held up a half-filled syringe with a snapped off needle. "I managed to get half the dose in the bastard before he reacted and broke my needle. He's still conscious though."

Blossom swore silently to herself as she looked up to the sky. The mini snow storm had died down and left her with a perfect view of her horrible counterpart and his brother.

Butch hovered uncertainly in the air, gaining and then subsequently losing altitude every few seconds. He let out a violent curse that she thankfully didn't catch and rubbed at his neck. There was giant red spot swelling up just underneath his jawline.

"What the fuck was that?" The brutish Ruff shouted.

Brick eyed the wound curiously as he drew closer. A moment later, his blood red eyes were on her. Blossom tried not to shrink back under his suspicious glare.

He was going to figure out what they were up to soon, most likely within the next few seconds. Shit, that didn't leave her much time to get the upper hand on him, _if_ she could get the upper hand on him again.

"Did you stick Brick?" Buttercup muttered at her side as she kept her eye focused on the Boys as well.

With a rueful shake of her head, Blossom showed her sister the still full syringe in her hand. "No, instead of catchimg his brother, the jerk sidestepped and caught me with a left hook."

"Figures. Doesn't even care about his own brother. Dick."

Blossom couldn't agree more. What kind of person would be so cold hearted as to leave their sibling helpless like that? The answer floated right in front of her.

Brick.

He didn't give a damn about anyone or anything. All the more justification for what she was trying to do. He was nothing more than a wild beast that destroyed whatever he touched. That was why he needed to be put down.

"Buttercup, I need you to make a distraction so I can get close to Brick and-"

"Shit!" Butch's curse cut her off mid-sentence and forced the redhead to look back up.

It seemed the antidote was finally working. Butch's flight powers faltered and he was sent tumbling to the ground. He would have hit it head on if Brick hadn't swooped down and caught him.

The redheaded bastard actually looked a bit concerned as he looked between the welt on his brother's neck and the ground below.

…then all the pieces clicked together.

Blossom once again swallowed nervously as her counterpart sent her one of the most vicious glares she had ever seen in her life. His face grew as red as he hair as he let Butch drop from his hands. The brunet hit the ground with an oomp, but his brother paid no mind.

All his focus and hatred was directed solely on Blossom at that moment. The jig was up, he _knew._

"Move!" Blossom yelled at her sister as she flew off at breakneck speed.

No sooner had she moved than a bright red explosion burst behind her. The force of it sent her skidding across the snow and the heat wave that followed cause beads of sweat to pepper her forehead.

As the Pink Puff regained her footing, she looked back and blinked in shock. The spot where the energy blast hit was nothing more than a crater now, still smoking and spitting plasma out in all directions.

If that had tagged either her or Buttercup…

Blossom grimaced and looked back up. Brick floated there in the sky like some demonic angel from the pits of hell. Two more balls of plasma glowed brightly in his hands as he glared down at her. The red cast to his face eerily reminded her of the Him's evil countenance.

Brick looked ready to kill….and his sights were set right no her.

Shit.

* * *

**A fight's about to go down. BIG TIME! Next chapter is all action! We only have about two chapters left so hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen. **

**Special thanks to Ghost501 and Nerdy Glitter for the Fav and Follows!**

**ROC95: Super violent! Especially in the next chapter. I think you'll dig it. Thanks for the review man!**

**Scourge: Wow, I wasn't expecting that reaction. I knew you had an evil side but my goodness! Hehe, it's all good, I have one too. Otherwise this story wouldn't exist ****J You were right about the anit-chemical X, I called it Antidote X cause I'm original like that. Too bad she couldn't stick Brick with it. There's always next chapter right? *Evil grin***

**Ghost501: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I do like exploring Blossom's dark side with this story. I can totally see her being an ends justify the means type of girl. I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the review!**

**Kidstandout: Yes, it does. And yes, it was a very bad idea on Brick's account but he's just trying to be cautious. After ten or so years, I would want to be absolutely sure everything is in place before I commit to an attack. Plus, he's a villain. We all know villains are the most objective people when it comes to revenge. He should have just ambushed Buttercup with his two brothers and ended it there, but then we wouldn't have a revenge story! Anyways, thanks for the review!**

**Lily: Yes, when I write overprotective sisters, I write them _really _overprotective. And no, It's not a bad thing that you have a slightly sadistic side. Everyone else does as well so you're in good company ;) Thanks so much for the kind words too! The encouragement was really appreciated this week as things got a little bit hectic for me. Thank goodness it's the weekend! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Charisma: True that! Just because they're 'good' doesn't mean can't go after rightful recompense! The Boys are in so much trouble. Thanks so much for the review!**

**Meleexx: O.O…wow Meleexx. That was…expressive? Lol, I didn't think I'd get that strong of a reaction. I'm still a little at loss for words actually. So I'm just going to say thanks and see how you review this chapter ;) Tumblr post is up and on my profile by the way.**

**Rose Verdict: Haha! Love the evil laughter. There seems to be a lot of that going around with this fic. To answer your question, the white glowing stuff was Antidote X. I know I answered that this chapter but I thought I should write it out anyways. Thanks for the review.**

**Thanks to all the peoples who read and didn't leave a review. I'm just glad you take some time out of your busy lives and enjoy this little piece of fiction I write. Thank you so much! Have a great week!**


	5. Chapter 5: A Fight for Survival

**(WARNING! This chapter contains some rather brutal descriptions of violence and there **_**will**_** be character deaths. I might actually consider this an M rated chapter. *shrug*Sorry, I couldn't help myself and I've been watching way too much UFC lately. I honestly hadn't planned to make it so graphic but it just kind flowed. If this upsets you or you're squeamish, you may want to skip down to the author's notes to find out what happened. I'll put a TLDR at the bottom. Enjoy the chapter!)**

Chapter 5: A Fight for Survival

_Blossom's POV_

The energy blasts came at her like a speeding bullet, no, faster. It was all Blossom could do to get away from the blasts before they detonated. The resulting explosions shook the ground and sent geysers of snow into the air.

Through the haze, a fist came flying at her. Blossom dodged to left as she continued to fly backwards. Another fist followed up the first, aimed towards her head. She dodged that one too, then another punch, a kick, a flying knee, two more quick jabs.

The attacks flew at her so fast, she could barely keep track of what was what. All she knew was to dodge, dodge like her life depended on it because…

It did.

Brick's assault picked up intensity as they speed along the tundra, hovering barely a foot off the ground. His fists ignited with an unholy aura. Burning plasma peppered her face and body as she dodged the blows.

The pain wasn't substantial but it did sting like a bitch. Blossom tried to counter as best she could, but avoiding getting hit was her main concern. If one of those energy infused strikes hit her head on, it wouldn't be pretty.

She needed to hit Brick first.

Thinking quickly through the blinding attacks hurtling at her, Blossom pivoted her flight path and spun around. The move caught Brick off guard long enough for her to throw a high kick at the back of his head.

Her boot connected with a solid _thunk_ and sent the Red Ruff flying face first into the snow fifty meters away. Blossom raced to follow up the attack with another but Brick was back on his feet before she reached him.

She met him head on, her fist slipping through his guard and plowing into his smug face. The crunch of fragile cartilage filled the Pink Puff with a great sense of satisfaction. As did the sight of Brick stumbling away holding his nose. He almost ate snow again as he fell to the ground but somehow he managed to turn the fall into a sweeping leg kick.

Blossom took to the air to avoid the trip and shots out her eyes beams at the prone Ruff. Brick rolled to the side to avoid the lasers and retaliated with a beam of his own.

It sailed harmlessly past her head as she pirouetted and fired off more of her lasers. Brick was forced to zigzag across the snow as dozens of beams tried hit him. Dodging in between two of them, the Red Ruff sent an energy blast her way that made Blossom duck for cover.

With her assault momentarily halted, Brick seized the advantage and closed the distance between them. His fists ignited with boiling, red energy again as he tried to hammer fist her into the ground.

Blossom spun to avoid the blow and sucked in a deep breath. Breathing out, she sent a blast of ice straight at the redhead's eyes. There was too little distance between them to dodge properly and as such, Brick got the full brunt of the attack head on.

He let loose a small cry and clawed at his eyes, trying to break away the chunks of frozen slush that clung to his face. Blossom pushed the attack and sent a punch straight into her counterpart's stomach.

The impact made the evil doer hunch over and strain for breath. She wasn't about to show any pity though. Blossom laced both hands around the back of his head and rammed her knee into his already broken nose. There was no satisfying crash this time around, just the squelch of flesh ripping and a bloody stain on her knee cap.

Brick flew three feet backwards through the air before crashing to the ground again. Blossom sucked in another breath and prepared to freeze him solid in a block of ice, but before she could make her move, Brick showed surprising resilience and hopped back up to his feet.

He sent an eye beam into her stomach full force. Blossom, still stuck in the middle of her attack, had no time to dodge or less the blow. The blast sent her rocketing backward into a towering wall of ice that extended for miles in either direction.

She hit the cliff face with all the force of a speeding train. Stars clouded her vision as her head slammed back into the wall, creating a series of spider web like cracks across the cliff face. Blossom struggled to blink past the exploding flashes of color assaulting her vision and stood unsteadily on her feet.

She wasn't given any time to recover however. Brick came flying at her with his fist held aloft, glowing red with burning plasma, and his face awash in blood. Blossom suddenly found herself on the snowy ground as she lunged desperately out of the way.

Her counterpart's hand missed her by the smallest of margins and met the ice with a loud, resonating **thud.** The cracks threaded along the wall from her earlier impact grew twice as large as Brick's fist rammed into them, sending down a small shower of ice around the two super powered beings.

Before she could even shove herself back to her feet, Brick was on the offensive again. Blossom forced herself to roll away as he tried to stomp her head into the ground. Pushing off the ground with her hands, the redhead flipped high into the air and over Brick's head.

He spun around with a spinning back fist but she leaned back to avoid the blow. Her counterpart growled deep in his throat and pursued her across the snow.

How the hell he was still functional was beyond her.

His face looked like he'd had a bad run in with a baseball bat. The mushy lump that once resembled his nose was now grotesquely swollen, forcing the Ruff to breathe through his mouth. Despite the handicap, he was still attacking with a startling amount of ferocity.

His shattered face didn't even seem to bother him as he threw every conceivable combination of punches and kicks at her. In his eyes burned the purest form of hatred Blossom had ever seen. Like twin pits of molten lava, ready to consume all in their path with no regards for its destruction.

Blossom dodged his attempts to hit her and managed to sneak in a knee that hit him right in the liver. The Ruff faltered under the blow for a heartbeat before renewing his assault, a sneer gracing his blood covered lips.

This was insane! A blow like that should have stopped him in his tracks. Instead, he barely flinched. Blossom knew right then and there that if she didn't do something drastic soon, he'd gain the upper hand and end her existence.

The truth was, Brick was stronger than her in terms of raw power, especially with his rage fueling his attacks. He could take more hits and deal more damage. Not substantially so, but in a prolonged fight to the death, the difference would be very notable in a short amount of time.

It was an edge that he was using to his full advantage right now. Blossom rolled across the cliff face as another one of Brick's super charged punches hit the wall. More splitting ice rang through the air and more cracks appeared.

If one of those punches hit her, the outcome wouldn't be pretty. She needed to find something to combat his rage fueled advantage. There had to be some way she could out maneuver him and catch him in a trap because she could stay here and exchange punches with him all day but that wasn't going to get her out of this fight alive.

A plan. That's what she needed.

A beam of red shot just in front of the redhead and forced her to dance backwards into Brick's reach. He was trying to trap her as well, keep her in range so he could beat the ever living hell out of her. And his trick was working.

A blur of fists came at her so fast that she barely managed to dodge one before another came flying towards her face. Flying drops of plasma seared her skin as she weaved through the blows and tried to escape the corner she had been backed into.

Behind her, the Pink Puff could hear the groan of the ice cliff. Every punch or kick that missed her, hit it instead. There were more cracks lacing that cliff face than whole pieces of ice now. If this kept up, the whole thing would lose its structural integrity and come crashing down on top of them.

…Wait! That was _it!_

A confident smirk rose on Blossom's lips as her idea took shape. The sight of it sent Brick into a conniption fit. More blood bubbled from his ruined nose as a snarl twisted his lips. He let out a howl of rage and retreat two steps back.

Rearing his hand back, a sphere the size of basketball boiled to life in his hands. The heat of the plasma was so hot that snow surrounding the enraged Ruff melted from proximity.

Blossom only had time to blink in shock and try to spin away before he launched the devastating attack at her. They were barely four feet away from each other, no matter how quickly Blossom could move, there was no conceivable way for her to escape its destructive path.

The blast hit the back of her shoulder, flashing like the sun and burning away the leather of her coat. The smell of burnt flesh assault Blossom nose as pain unlike anything she had felt before sent her stumbling into the wall.

Gritting her teeth against the agony, Blossom tried to heave herself upright but Brick was there. His hand clamped onto the back of her neck and shoved her face into the frozen ice wall. The hard, abrasive surface tore at her cheek, leaving a smear of blood in its wake as Brick dragged her across its length.

Blossom clenched her fist and attempted to fight off his hold, but Brick's grip was as tight as an iron clamp. Struggling only made him let out a terrible wheezing laugh. He pulled back her head and sent it slamming into the wall.

Once more, Blossom saw stars dancing across the field of her vision as she was turned around and her back shoved against the cliff face. With his hand now firmly around her neck, Blossom was finding it incredibly difficult to breath. Even more so when he lifted her feet off the ground and held her pinned.

Blinking her eyes open, Blossom grimaced at Brick's blood soaked grin leering up at her. There was as definite psychotic gleam in those burning red orbs of his. He looked wild, unaware or just unconcerned about his current condition. His only focus was on tightening his fingers around her slender neck.

It was official…Brick was sitting on the edge of insanity and it barely fazed him. This horrible being was without a doubt, the worst villain Blossom had ever had the misfortune to meet.

And he had her firmly in his grasp.

"Hehehe, I finally caught you. Nowhere left to run Blossy." He growled between clenched teeth.

His other hand reached up and stole into her front pocket. Withdrawing a glowing white syringe, he held it up before her eyes.

"Isn't this a reversal of roles? I believe this is the second time you've tried to strip me of my powers and turn me into a pile of ash. You do realize that's attempted murder don't you?"

Blossom could only glare spitefully down at him as her hands clawed desperately at his iron grip around her throat. It was getting harder and harder to get any air into her lungs. Dark spots were flashing across her vision and the redhead knew she was only a minute away from blacking out.

If she survived that long.

Brick leaned in close, bringing his face mere inches away from hers. "I don't appreciate that Blossom, not at all. You can't face me like a real warrior, no, you have to resort to _this."_

He brought the syringe up near her face. The light glinted wickedly off the metal needle. The one chemical in the universe that could cause her body to completely decompose was an inch away from her face. Needless to say, Blossom tried to squirm as far away from it as possible.

Her struggles were all in vain, the only thing they did was cause Brick's grin to stretch across his ruined face. He was clearly enjoying her fear, but dammit! She couldn't help it.

Her mind was racing a mile a minute, desperately trying to find a way to escape before he did the unthinkable and her life was ended. All that she could see was that needle, all she could think of was the searing pain it would bring as her flesh disintegrated away under its influence.

"The tables have turned haven't they Blossom? And now, I'm going to do to you what you were trying to do to me. I hope you have a wonderfully torturous journey to the depths of hell." Her counterpart laughed as he brought the needle away from her face and repositioned it at the junction of her neck and shoulder.

No!_** NO!**_She couldn't let this happen! It couldn't end like this! She _wouldn't_ let it end like this!

She needed to live, to see Bubbles wake up and give her the biggest hug the blonde had ever received in her life. She needed to live to help the Professor with his research, to make sure Buttercup didn't go overboard and destroy half a continent in her battle against villainy.

She _**couldn't**_ let that bastard beat her!

Working on pure instinct, Blossom let go of Brick's wrist and clenched her hand into a fist. She slammed it into the ice cliff with all the force she could muster. She only prayed it would be enough.

The impact shook the wall and a deep groaning resonated from within. The network of thin, spider web cracks that laced the wall grew into wide fissures, breaking apart and sending down a shower of ice onto the Red pair. The largest crack branched all the way to the top of the cliff and split the massive structure in two. A deep rumbling shook the ground and filled the air as ice particles rained down around them

The Pink Puff sucked in one shallow breath and smiled coyly at her shocked counterpart.

"I don't think so Brick." Blossom grunted as the entirety of the cliff face broke off from above and came hurtling down towards them.

* * *

_Buttercup's POV_

Buttercup held her fists up defensively as Butch came at her, his hand reared back for a massive right hook.

She was honestly surprised he was even trying to attack her in the first place with the way he was drunkenly flying through the air, but then again, this was Butch. Not even a missing limb could stop this moron from fighting.

Buttercup waited for her counterpart to close in and twitched her head to the side to avoid his punch. It came in a lot slower than she was anticipating however. Like watching a movie being played out in slow mo, Buttercup blinked as Butch's fist sailed right past her ear.

She was so shocked at the less than stellar speed of his attack that she accidently left herself wide open for his follow up hit. The heavy blow to her jaw sent the Green Puff skidding across the tundra.

Her feet dug down into the slush and snow, slowing her velocity and leaving twin sets of fissures in the ground. As she slowed to a stop, Buttercup raised her hand and worked her jaw uncertainly.

Nothing felt like it was broken, hell it didn't even feel all that bruised. It was like getting punched by a toddler. There had been a surprising amount of force but not a lot of damage to back it up.

Buttercup looked back towards her counterpart in cautious wonder as he glanced between her and his fist. The horror that dawned on his face as he realized what was happening was priceless. She had never seen such a terrified expression on the Green Ruff before.

This was going to be fun.

A feral grin spread across her lips as Buttercup mockingly waved Butch forward. She could hear his growl even from fifty meters away. The Green Ruff crouched down and blasted towards her with all the speed of a new born kitten.

At least, that's what it felt like to her.

Her grin grew and grew as each punch he tried to land on her missed by a mile. It was extremely satisfying to see the look of frustration turn his face red. He came at her with every kind of attack imaginable, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, lasers, energy blasts.

Buttercup dodged every single one of them with ease. It would have been so easy to toy with him a bit, but she wasn't stupid. Getting over confident and full of yourself always led to problems.

So, as Butch sent a high kick speeding towards her head, Buttercup latched on to it and retaliated with a flying knee to his stomach. The brunet grunted aloud as he folded over her knee.

Buttercup grabbed the back of his hair in one hand and used to other to land some savage uppercuts on his unprotected face. Bone crunched and popped beneath her fist with every hit.

She had never heard a more satisfying sound. How'd the bastard like that? Wasn't so fun when he was the one getting the shit beat out of him huh?

Raising his head up, Buttercup brought her elbow around and smacked the pompous ass in the corner of the jaw. His eyes rolled wildly in his sockets as his legs went limp. Supporting all his weight, she was almost afraid she had hit him too hard and knocked him unconscious.

That proved to be untrue. A few seconds later, the brunet was blinking back to awareness and readying for round two of his beat down. Buttercup was only all too happy to oblige.

Tossing him up into the air, Buttercup hit him with a three punch combo to the abdomen. Each punch sent him higher and higher until they were twenty feet off the ground. Buttercup ignored the sound of his desperate chocking as she twisted back and launched a spinning back kick to his ribs.

The kick hit him full on. More bones crunched under her foot and the force of the impact sent him flying through the air. She wasn't content to let him land just yet however.

Buttercup sped past his rocketing form and positioned herself behind him. Holding out her knee, the brunette let velocity do all the work as Butch crashed into it and let out a cry of pain. His back arched and she got the perfect view of his face, the pain shining in his forest green eyes.

That was actually the first cry she had ever heard from. This was just a day of firsts all around wasn't it? Maybe she could get him to grovel while she was at it?

….No, as much fun as that sounded, she had a job to do and Blossom was still dealing with a fully powered Brick.

It was time to take this clown down, once and for all.

Lacing her hands together, Buttercup launched a brutal pair of hammer fists at her opponent's unguarded chest. The attack sent Butch plummeting down to the ground below. A plume of snow and ice shot up at his impact, clouding the air and masking his form.

Buttercup charged straight through it and landed heavily next to crater he had made. She took her time walking down towards him. The devil was lying on his back, letting out a pitiful moaning sound that reminded her strangely of a baby kitten.

She hated kittens.

Putting on a cruel smirk, Buttercup took a knee beside her fallen counterpart. "I ain't gonna lie to you Butch. I'm rather enjoying this little battle of ours, if you could really call it that. I think trouncing is a better term but what the hell."

His eyes focused into a hate filled glare as she shrugged causally.

"I could do this all day, but unfortunately, I've got other shit to do. One of those is ridding this world of your terrible, filthy existence. So let's just get right down to it and save everyone a little time alright?"

The looked he sent her was a weird mixture of inconsolable rage and panic. There was a desperate sort of fear creeping into his eyes as he realized the chips were all stacked against him.

The dumbass tried to throw a weak punch at her but it was about as successful as being attack by a stuffed animal. Buttercup didn't even attempt to dodge it. She just let it hit her jaw without a flinch.

It was pathetic to say the least. He realized that too. Scrambling backwards, he tried to put as much distance between them as possible and Buttercup let him do it.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He was done. All that she needed to do was finish what she had started.

She drolly watched Butch stumble to his feet as she pulled the broken, half-filled syringe from her coat pocket. The needle might have snapped off, but who said you needed a needle to being with. She'd just jam the thing in his neck and push the plunger down. It all worked the same; the only difference was comfort level.

And with the effects of Antidote X running through his system, Buttercup didn't think a little discomfort would matter all that much to the brunet.

Butch finally seemed to realize that nothing he could do would result in him leaving this place alive. He was doomed and both of them knew it. The brunet stopped trying to run away and instead turned to face her as she approached him.

The fear that had been festering in his eyes was gone now; all that replaced it was a twisted sort of glee. It was made all the more creepy as he started to chuckle. The damage to his ribs made each laugh a painful, choking affair but even so, he continued to chortle as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Buttercup stopped ten feet away from him and quirked a brow in question. "What's so funny bub? I would have thought your own death would send you into a blubbering mass of tears or something. Don't tell me you cracked?"

His chuckles stopped as he straightened up and shot her a maniacal grin. "You wanna know what's so funny? It's said that that when people look death in the face, their lives and all their regrets flash before their eyes. All the things they could have done, could have said, played out for them in all its depressing glory."

Buttercup let her other brow join its fellow and stared at Butch wide eyed. What the hell was he going on about?

Philosophy wasn't something she'd peg Butch for yet here he was, spouting off all this bullshit about regrets and facing death. He just couldn't die all nice and quiet like could he? Just had to make a scene and be an idiot.

"But the really funny thing is that I…don't have that." His grin grew impossibly wide. "Haha! I look back on my life and I don't have a single regret in this fucked up world. I'm a 'villain' and yet I'm facing my own death happier than most people face their cup of morning coffee! Hahaha!"

…Yep, he had definitely cracked.

Buttercup grimaced with displeasure as Butch's laughing fit caused him to hack up a puddle of blood and saliva. He wiped at his mouth in vain and spread the shiny red liquid across half his face.

Despite that, he was still laughing. "Hehehe, Ahaha! Oh that's rich ain't it? People spend their whole lives searching for happiness and here I am, just doing whatever the hell I want. Hahaha! Ehehehe, heh, hey! Hey…you wanna know what I enjoyed the most?"

He leaned towards her, wiggling his brow. Buttercup sure as hell didn't care what he had enjoyed in his miserable life. She should have cut the charade short right then and there and stuck him with the damn needle...but for some unexplainable reason, a small part of her hesitated, like it really wanted to hear what he was going to say.

Butch took her momentary pause as an answer and smirked coldly at her. "The thing I enjoyed most out of _all_ of it…was beating that dumb blond bimbo sister of yours into a bloody pulp. Haha! The look on her face when I snapped her arm! Priceless! You should have seen it Butters."

His joyous statement made her stop in her tracks. Frozen, she could only stare at him in disbelief while he cackled. The crazed look in his eye, his harsh words, that stupid smirk! All of it! It was too much!

Her fists clenched in rage and a snarl rose on her lips as Buttercup watched that fucking bastard nearly fall over himself laughing.

…how dare he…_**HOW DARE HE!**_

"But you know what?" He chuckled as Buttercup tried to contain her anger. "Now that I think about it, I_ do_ have one regret."

She looked in those soulless eyes of his and waited, still as stone. Her breaths came drawn and measured. She was hanging on a razor's edge. Whatever Butch was about to say, it was entirely possible that it could push her over the edge.

If it did then screw Antidote X, she'd rip this bastard apart with her bare hands.

"I only wish that I could do it all over again. Then I would have moved on to you sweetheart." He said with a leer.

That was it! Buttercup couldn't take it anymore. Fuck slow and cautious, fuck professionalism. She was ending this bastard right here, right now!

With a cry of rage, Buttercup pushed off the ground and tackled Butch. The two of them crashed into the ice and slid across it, spinning uncontrollably. Upon impact, she felt several more of his ribs snap and a grunt of pain slip past his lips.

**GOOD!**

When they slid to halt, Buttercup didn't give the psychotic asshole anytime to recover. She sat up and jammed the broke needle into his eye, all the way up to the plunger. He jerked in uncontrollable pain but Buttercup didn't move an inch as she pressed down and injected the rest of the Antidote X into him.

It happened within seconds.

His wild thrashings slowed down as the chemical flooded his system. The color drained from his face, leaving behind a ghostly shade of pale white. His eyes lost their shine, deadening from the rich forest green they had been to a brackish gray. The blood covering half of his face made the display all the more grotesque.

Buttercup swallowed heavily as he turned those dead eyes towards her and his lips twitched into a half smirk. His voice was so frail that she barely managed to catch his next words, his last words.

"…Only villains kill in cold blood right? So who's the villain now?"

Her eyes widened in shock as she watched Butch start to disintegrate in front of her.

Chunks of his flesh shriveled up like charred, burnt pieces of paper. The brittle muscle and skin flaked off in the wind and were swept away. Even his bone, unearthed by the dissolving out layers, broke into small fragments and was torn asunder.

Buttercup scrambled to her feet as his mangled rib cage disintegrated underneath her. The sickening display almost made her want to throw up, but she couldn't look away. Her eyes were captured by his.

While the rest of his body wilted all at the same time, his head was saved for last. Buttercup didn't know if their brains contained the largest stores of Chemical X and therefore took longer to decompose or what, but it was haunting to look into those soulless, dead eyes.

He never made one sound as the flesh of his face starting peeling away, he never moved. He just laid there and stared at her.

…That was the last look she had of her counterpart before he was completely gone, his eyes burning deep into hers, telling her they were exactly the same.

They were both horrible beings that did terrible things out of the need for **revenge**.

Backing away, Buttercup tried to swallow the lump in her throat and ignore the stinging tears filling her eyes. She rubbed an arm roughly across her face and turned away from the spot her counterpart had once laid.

It wasn't _**true! **_It _wasn't!_ She was a superhero! A good guy! She was _nothing _like that bastard! **Nothing!**

That was just Butch messing with her head. He being the bastard he always was and trying to get her to doubt herself, even in his last moments. Well fuck him!

She knew who she was dammit! She was a Powerpuff Girl! She wasn't evil, she wasn't a villain! She was the good guy! This wasn't any of her fault to begin with.

_He _was the villain; this whole mess was started because of him! He had brought this upon himself, forced her hand. If he hadn't attack Bubbles like that...

_**Gah!**_ It was justice! She hadn't taken his life purely on revenge. He was a menace to society. He _needed _to be put down. She was doing the world a favor! She should get a fucking medal!

…She _wasn't_ like him dammit.

As Buttercup stood there, staring into the frozen ground and tears pooling in her eyes, a low rumble filled the air. Her inner crisis was cut short as the ground shook beneath her feet and the rumbling grew louder.

Across the tundra, she watched as a cliff of ice and snow collapsed inward. The plume of ice and dust it sent up obscured everything. Her mind instantly turned towards her older sister and her battle with the last of the Rowdyruffs.

"Blossom!" Buttercup cried as she took to the air.

She became a green blur as she raced towards her sister's aid, leaving the fluttering motes of dust that were once her greatest enemy behind for the wind and the cold.

* * *

_Blossom's POV_

…It was cold.

That was the first thing Blossom noticed after the world had stopped falling on top of her. It was cold and something heavy was crushing her chest. The Pink Puff blinked open her eyes and saw nothing but black surrounding her.

Then it hit her…she was buried under a mountain of ice.

The cold tomb seemed incredibly small as she struggled to drawn breath. The weight pinning her down was monstrous, even for someone of her chemically enhance nature. Blossom tried to move her arms but they were stuck to her side.

A brief flutter of panic tried to overtake her but she firmly held it back. This was no time to give into fear and outrageous emotions. She could get out of this even with use of her arms. All she needed to do was keep a cool head…

Despite the severity of the situation, the redhead couldn't help but roll her eyes at the accidental pun. Maybe it was the twinge of panic still trying to gain control or maybe it was the lack of oxygen. Whatever it was, it gave the Pink Puff a moment to calm herself down and take stock of her situation.

She was buried alive under a mountain of ice and snow.

Didn't get much more blunt than that did it? Regardless, this wasn't an impossible situation. Sure, she couldn't move her arms, but she still had other abilities.

Like her eye beams for instance. Blossom took a fitful breath and prayed that she wouldn't end up crushing herself before opening her eyes and shooting out twin beams of red from them. The lasers collided into the black ice with a hiss and steam filled the cave.

Ice groaned above her as supports gave way and pieces shifted. The ominous cracking sounds did little to deter her though. She was not about to die in a pathetic manner like this. No way was Blossom Utonium's name going to be linked with something as lame as asphyxiation.

Her eye beams bit into the ceiling and carved a steady path upwards. Chunks of ice and partially melted water splattered down over her face, chilling her to the bone. After a few seconds of this, a rumble filled the cave and the heavy weight crushing her chest shifted.

It moved just enough to allow her to pull one arm free and that was all Blossom needed. The Pink Puff shoved against the huge chunk of ice and managed to slide out from underneath it.

Sweet air returned to her abused lungs which she gulped down greedily. She was still trapped under who knows how many tons of ice, but at least she could move now. Her eye beams would make quick work of the rest.

The thing that bothered her was what was waiting up above the ice. Surely Brick survived the avalanche. Would he be waiting for her to unbury herself and then pounce? That would put Blossom in a bad situation but there wasn't much she could do about it except hope she reached the surface first.

Unleashing her eye beams again, Blossom chipped away at the ceiling above her at an alarming rate. The ice melted quickly, creating a miniature waterfall around her. Soon, a shaft of light broke through the ceiling and illuminated the cavern.

"Blossom?!" A very familiar voice called out from above.

Blossom wasted no time exiting her would be ice tomb. Popping up through the skylight she made, the redhead came face to face with her younger sister. Buttercup looked perfectly fine as she hurried to look over Blossom's injuries.

"Freakin' A! Don't fucking scare me like that! When I saw the cliff collapse I flew over here as fast as I could. I thought it'd take forever to find you."

Blossom winced as the brunette prodded her mangled shoulder. The entirety of her shoulder was a mass of angry welts and burns. The blackened skin felt taunt and fragile to the touch. She couldn't see enough of it to say how bad the damage was but from Buttercup's expression, it was anything but pretty.

"God, he got you good. Pegged you with an energy blast? I've never seen them give someone an injury like that before." Buttercup said with a grimace.

Blossom shook her head. "No, it wasn't an energy blast. It was some sort of boiling plasma. I'm not sure where he learned to do that but I suspect Him's involved somehow."

Buttercup came back around to her face her. "A power that gives third degree burns and packs enough of a punch to make a miniature Mount Saint Helens? Yeah, I'd say that has Him's handiwork all over it."

Rotating her shoulder gently, Blossom tried to get some sort of feeling back into in. She glanced up at Buttercup's face and saw her sister's eyes were tinged red.

…almost like she had been crying.

"…Buttercup? Did…did you finish Butch?" The Pink Puff asked hesitantly.

The effect was instant. The moment Butch's name had left her mouth, Buttercup became unusually still. The brunette stood, staring off into space for half a heartbeat before switching her eyes towards her older sister.

She gave her a slow, measured nod. "…Yeah…he's dead. Watched it with my own eyes."

There was little more Blossom could do but nod her head. She couldn't think of any words to say. There was nothing she _could_ say. Her younger sister had just killed one of their longest running rivals in a bout to the death.

'Hey, great job!' didn't seem very fitting in this situation.

Buttercup broke the silence first. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she looked at Blossom with an uncharacteristically solemn expression.

"What about that bastard Brick? Did you get him?"

Before Blossom could answer, she was interrupted by a blast of red energy. It shot up from the ground several dozen meters away from then, a column of pure power five feet in radius. The ice and snow surrounding the blast didn't even get a change to melt, it just _vaporized._

Out from the hissing clouds of steam and smoke, a figured appeared. Like a demon ascending from hell, Brick floated upwards out of his ice prison. The ruins of his face were hardly recognizable with all the blood and bruises covering it.

The avalanche must have caught him directly in the face and done even more damage to it, but like every other injury he had sustained in this fight, Brick hardly seemed to notice it. Instead, his attention was fixated solely on her and Buttercup and in his hands glowed two boiling spheres of plasma.

"Well, that answers that question." Buttercup muttered beside her before letting out a curse. "Break!"

The two sisters split apart and took off in opposite directions as a barrage of plasma came hurtling at them. Not just one or two…_dozens_ of them came careering from the sky. The land exploded around Blossom as she weaved between the blasts and tried to avoid the residual fire.

It was running through a minefield. One wrong step and she could be reduced to a pile of dismembered limbs. She had to do something _**now,**_ before her or Buttercup got hit.

If only she still had her Antidote X! She could end this right now. Stupid Brick, stealing it from her. It was probably buried under a few tons of snow and ice right now. If it wasn't broken and saturating the ground beneath her feet that was.

As it was, that vial was lost. Thankfully, her motto was always be prepared. Blossom swerved past an ball of spitting plasma and made a beeline for her sister across the plain.

They met somewhere in the middle amongst the deadly rain. Buttercup sported a smoldering coat sleeve but she appeared to have made it through injury free for the most part.

"God dammit! What the hell is that stuff?" The Green Puff shouted as they flew up into the air.

"I don't know." Blossom replied. "But we can't keep this up forever. I lost my Antidote X, I need you to go back to our packs and get the backup vial while I keep Brick distracted."

"You wanna take him _alone?!_" Buttercup argued before she barrel rolled to avoid getting hit.

"Just do it Buttercup!" Blossom shouted back as she performed a similar maneuver.

Surprisingly enough, the brunette listened. There was a first. The Green Puff swerved away from her and raced off towards the distance where their packs lay safely hidden amongst the snow.

Blossom then focused on her self-appointed task and turned to face her counterpart. She blasted an energy beam of her own against one of the attacks coming towards her. The two forms of energy met in midair and created a multicolored detonation.

Bursts of reds, pinks, and oranges dazzled her eyes as Blossom pushed forward and flew straight at Brick. She had to get in close and render his plasma strikes invalid. He might still be able to fire one off in such close range, as her shoulder could attest too, but maybe she could incapacitate him before that happened.

The pinked eye Puff came in swinging hard but Brick anticipated her charge. He ducked beneath her punch and grabbed hold of her arm. A brutal knee collided with her ribs and an audible snap resounded through the air.

Blossom gritted her teeth against the pain and twisted her arm around, reversing the hold and capturing Brick's arm in an iron grip. The maneuver took the Ruff by surprise, allowing Blossom to send several powerful jabs at his already damaged face.

She didn't think it was possible but even more blood poured from his mangled nasal cavity. His head rocked back under the blows but Brick somehow managed to cling to consciousness. He shot off a blast from his eye beams as he tried to yank his arm of her grasp.

Tried being the key word here. Now that she had hold of him, she wasn't about to let his bastard go. Blossom leaned back to avoid the lasers and tugged back on his arm, causing him to lurch towards her.

The Pink Puff unleashed another barrage of punches, hitting whatever she could reach. Face, shoulders, chest, arms, it didn't matter. She let the blows rain, throwing all she had into her assault.

She just had to keep him occupied for another minute, until Buttercup got back with the Antidote X.

Under her attacks, Brick's entire body seemed to give out. Those plasma attacks must have sapped him of his strength because he was most certainly feeling the effects of her punches now. She sent a short jab at his face but he made no move to defend.

She wasn't even sure he was conscious anymore. The way his head lolled drunkenly about hinted that he might have been thoroughly 'checked out'. She wasn't taking any chances thought. He had played her for a fool too many times to count in their childhood.

He wasn't going to get the best of her this time.

Blossom let go of her grip on his arm and kneed him hard in the stomach. She followed up that attack with spinning back elbow that sent him careening through the air.

As he spun wildly about, the Red Ruff somehow managed to muster enough energy for one last plasma blast. The sphere was no bigger than a baseball but it boiled with the same deadly energy as all the others.

Brick reared back and hurled it towards her with all his might. The throw was way off course however, Blossom didn't even need to dodge as it sailed well off to her left.

She couldn't help but smirk as rammed her other elbow into his collarbone. Again the sound of snapping caught her ear and caused her smirk to grow. The impact sent Brick spiraling back several feet before he managed to regain control.

He wiped vainly at the blood blanketing his face, only succeeding in spreading it to his hands instead.

"Wow Brick, nice shot but I think you missed." Blossom couldn't resist the urge to taunt him.

He had done the same thing to her so many times she'd lost count. She wanted to experience his side of the conversation just once before she ended him.

Allowing her smirk to grow into a full blown grin, Blossom flew in closer. "I think your anger is getting the best of you Brick. It's making you _sloppy."_

She expect some sort of insult thrown at her, or a curse, hell even him spitting in disgust. But he did none of those. He only stared at her with those cold, dead eyes of his and calmly arched a brow.

"…Who said I was aiming for you?"

Only too late did she realize what he was implying. Spinning around, Blossom turned just in time to see a large explosion detonate off in the distance. Specifically, in the exact area she had sent Buttercup off to retrieve their last vial of Antidote X.

Before she had time to even call out her sister's name, Brick fist came flying out of nowhere and struck her with enough force to send her careening to the ground. Blossom hit the slushy ice hard and bounced once or twice before rolling to a stop.

The redhead shoved herself to her hands and knees, grabbing a fist full of snow in her clenched fists.

That bastard…that no good, filthy, rotten _**bastard!**_How dare he do something so low. Did his villainy know no bounds? Was he so corrupt as to seize any advantage he could get? Regardless of their morality?

Obviously, the answer was yes.

Her counterpart had descended so far down into the depths of evil that there was no hope for salvation. Not that she would off the horrible excuse of a human being any. He had done far too much to be offered a chance at redemption.

He had hurt so many people, ruined so many lives…hers most of all. He had tried to kill her and her sisters. He had _maimed_ them.

_**He had to pay. **_

A fizzling hiss filled the air as her hands ignited with pink fire and the snow melted instantly. Her rage bubbled up from deep within her soul, fueling the flames and making them burn hot.

She didn't care anymore about dodging attacks, about not taking damage. That time was over with. All she wanted to do now was take that mangled face of his and crush it between her bare hands.

Shoving herself up from the snow, Blossom jumped back to avoid a fierce punch from her counterpart. His fists also glowed with that boiling plasma like energy, so similar but yet so different from the flames encasing her own hands.

Brick recovered from the attack and straighten up. He growled low in his throat as he waited for her to make the next move. Blossom kindly obliged. It was time for a smack down.

The redheaded Puff pulled her lips back into a snarl and raced forward to meet her counterpart head on.

He might have presented a brave front but it crumbled before her onslaught. The smell of charred flesh filled the air as her fists burned into his skin. Brick stood no chance against her. He was more injured, more worn out, and definitely more out of it than she was.

She suspected that pure will was the only thing keeping him going at this point. It didn't help much as she landed another blow directly at his sternum. The redhead shot backwards from the punch and let out a small cry as he collapsed into the snow.

Blossom was about to advance and finishing off the savage when a shout echoed through the air and caught her attention. Turning around, Blossom caught sight of a small figure in the distance. It was from the exact same area that the blast had detonated moments before.

_Buttercup! She was alive!_

"Catch!" The word made Blossom glance up to the sky.

A spinning flash of light captivated her attention and instantly she was up of the ground and flying towards it. Blossom reached out a hand and caught the twirling object with ease. Looking down at her fist, she realized it was the vial of Antidote X she had sent her sister for.

Even injured, Buttercup was still fulfilling her missions.

Blossom carefully closed her fist around the vial and turned back towards the pitiful form of her counterpart. Her rage still burned hot with in her. So instead of touching down gently and walking up to his prone form, she slammed her knee into his sternum again.

The force of impact made the evil doer gag and choke on his own blood. If she had to guess, she'd say his lungs were slowing filling up with the life giving liquid now. Oh the irony, the very essence of life slowing draining his away.

It was a slow and tortuous death…but disintegration was worse. And this bastard _deserved_ the worst.

The Pink Puff put on her most menacing glare and gripped Brick's collar tight. She yanked his ruined face inches from her own and hissed behind clenched teeth.

"Your time is _**up.**_"

Without a second to waste, Blossom brought around her other hand and plunged the syringe into her opponent's unprotected neck. She pressed the plunger down and watched with satisfaction as the antidotes effects started to take place.

Brick twitched violently beneath her, his limb jerk every which way but she didn't move a muscle. Maybe she should have though.

It what she thought was a wild death throw, Brick's arm arched up from the ground and slammed into her arm. The hit itself wasn't much of a concern, it was the pinching pressure of something entering through her skin that sent warning bells blaring in her head.

Blossom flinched in surprise and looked down at his hand. In it was one of the worst things she had seen in her life. Clutched between his blood soaked fingers was a small cylindrical object with a long, thin needle at the end.

Her previous vial of Antidote X!

Oh God **NO!**

Looking down in horror, Blossom caught sight of Brick's bloody grin. It was perhaps one of the only times she had ever seen him with any sort of joyous expression. He looked like the world's happiest man as his skin started shriveling in on itself.

"If I'm going to hell, then you're coming along with me." He muttered with a chuckle.

There were so many things she wanted to say to this slimy asshole right now, so many ways she wanted to hurt him! But before she could do anything more than open her mouth, the Antidote X hit her system.

The world spun off kilter, sending the Pink Puff tumbled to the ground. Her vision swam and all sound seemed to leech away. A tingling sensation worked its way over her skin.

Then the fire started.

Searing pain, not unlike the plasma attack from earlier, assaulted every inch of her body. The agony of it made her thrash wildly across the ground. Hours seemed to pass by and Blossom tried to alleviate the pain in any way she could.

She was just starting to toy with the idea of crushing her own skull when the burning sensation died down, a cool dead like feeling replacing it. Lying there, shaking in the snow, all Blossom could do was let out a desperate sob as she felt stretches of her skin start to shrink into itself.

Brick's last, evil peel of laughter sounded miles away as his body decomposed and was stolen by the wind. It was that one thought that made her stop sobbing in despair.

No matter the outcome to her own personal state of being, she had done what she set out to do. The Rowdyruff Boys were no more. The world was safe.

An odd sense of peace settled over the redhead as she turned her eyes towards the sky. The last rays of sun were out in full display, changing the robin's egg blue into a wonderland of colors. All the hues of the rainbow and more were splashed across the infinite expanse of the sky.

As chunks of her flesh started tearing themselves away from her body, Blossom couldn't help but twitch her lips into a smile. She was going to die, but this wasn't a bad last sight to see.

Not at all.

As her vision tunneled and the world grew dark around her, Blossom caught the muffled sound of her name being cried out.

…Buttercup…that…was…But…terc-

…

..

.

* * *

…**So yeah, that was my chapter. What did you guys think? I'm actually surprised at myself for several reasons. One: this was a lot darker than I anticipated it being. Two: I wrote it all yesterday, all nine thousand words. And Three: I killed off three main characters.**

**All in all, a dark ending for a dark story BUT WAIT! This isn't the last chapter! There will be an epilogue and it features the one main character who has been silent this whole time. **

**For those of you who couldn't or wouldn't read the chapter in all its terrible grotesque gory detail, here's a TLDR of the events that took place.**

**...**

**TLDR: So the fight between the Ruffs and Puffs commences. Blossom has a hard time with Brick as he attacks her head on. He lands some good hits but Blossom lands a few of her own. She turns his face into a bloody mess, he in turns slams her into an ice cliff and hits her with a plasma attack that practically maims her shoulder. As Brick as Blossom held against the ice wall, he steals her vial of Antidote X and tells her that he's going to use it on her. Blossom reacts instinctually and slams her fist into the ice cliff causing an avalanche. **

**We then switch to Buttercup's POV and her fight with Butch. It's pretty pathetic seeing as he is under the effects of Antidote X. The one sided fight ends with him taunting her about how he enjoyed beating Bubbles to a pulp. Buttercup jams the rest of her Antidote X into his eye and watches him decompose. Before he disintegrates completely, he tells her that they are the same. Both of them are horrible people that act of revenge. The statement hits a bit too close to home and Buttercup has a mild freak out but then the avalanche catches her attention and she races off to Blossom's aid.**

**Switch to Blossom's POV. She is buried under the ice but managed to blast her way out. Buttercup meets her and asks if Brick's finished. He blasts out of the snow like an unholy demon and Buttercup has her answer. He begins to launch a barrage of plasma attacks at the two sisters as they try and dodge. Blossom tells Buttercup to fly back to their small camp and grab the extra, emergency vial of Antidote X they brought with them. Buttercup does so. **

**Blossom fights off Brick and gains the upper hand in the battle while Buttercup is retrieving the antidote. She thoroughly trounces him and believes he is finished. He throws a small plasma attack at her but it misses. Blossom believes he is too tired to fire more accurately but then he tells her he wasn't even aiming for her. Blossom turns around and gasps in horror as the area her sister was in blows up spectacularly. **

**Believing her sister to be dead, Blossom attacks Brick with a burning rage of her own. She reduces him to a pitiful lump in the snow but right before she attempts to kill him with her own hands, a voice calls out to her. Buttercup survived but couldn't travel towards her fast enough. She throws the extra vial of Antidote X and Blossom catches it.**

**Blossom injects Brick with the chemical and watches in satisfaction as he starts to disintegrate. Brick takes her by surprise thought and pulls out the vial he stole from her and stabs her with it. Both fall to the ground as the effects of the chemical take place. Brick decomposes first and Blossom follows shortly after. The last sound she hears is the voice of her sister, calling out her name.**

**...**

**And as a side note, I'm SORRY for killing Blossom but it just worked! I got super sad doing it but I've always wanted to write a story where the main character dies and it leaves the reader in a state of depressed satisfaction. Whether that happened or not *shrug* only you can tell me. So leave a review please! Also let me know if the violence was over the top or not. I'm trying to gauge what's appropriate and what's unnecessary. **

**Thanks to the new follower: NagisaNeko!**

**Now, onto Reviewer Recognition:**

**Rose Verdict: Oh she did kick his butt alright! I think she made him pay dearly. Unfortunately, he got his revenge in the end. I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations, I tried to make Brick get his ass beat down.**

**Scourge: Was that enough pain and torture for you Scourge? I thought I succeed but maybe I didn't. *shrug* Also, I hope you appreciated Blossom's rage mode at the end where she beat Brick into a bloody pulp…again. She did a lot of that this chapter actually. Well, thanks for the review!**

**Ghost501: Speechless. Wow, I like hearing that. Unfortunately you were correct. Lots of dead people, but I did say this story was going to be dark at the beginning. I meant it. Thanks for taking the time to review! **

**ROC95: Eh, half and half? Kinda sorta doomed? Well, they took out the Ruffs so it was a doomed victory at least. That's gotta count for something right? Thanks for reviewing!**

**Lily: Brick got the crap beaten out of him alright. I hope you appreciated that fact. He deserved it though. I did make him especially evil in this fic. I'm anxious to hear about what you thought about this chapter thought. Too much violence? I'm on the edge about that still. Thanks for the review!**

**kidstandout: I think if it had been anyone other than Bubbles getting beaten then Blossom probably would have gone a more ethical route, but because it **_**was**_** Bubbles, sisterly instinct demanded satisfaction. As for the Antidote X being inconsistent, how so? I'm not saying you're wrong but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter **

**If you're referring to how it's inconsistent with the original show, then yeah, I'll give you that. I wanted to make it a bit more gritty and realistic in this story. If you're referring to differences of the effects between Boomer and Butch, I would say that Boomer was stuck unconscious because his stamina isn't the same as his older brothers. Butch could take a lot more damage than Boomer I think and his endurance would be longer. Again, not saying you're wrong or anything, those are just my thoughts on the matter. Thanks for review! I appreciated it greatly!**

**Dirk-Steadfast: You make a good point about the freezing to death. I honestly hadn't thought of that. The unfortunate consequence of writing these chapters and posting them on a weekly basis. If I had more time to plan, I might have caught that…but probably would have missed it anyways. Thanks for keeping up with the story and thanks for the review!**

**Meleexx: No worries! Tests are way more important than a review. School first! I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope this one was enjoyable as well. And sadly, no, I haven't heard anything about SNK. :/**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys and thanks to the silent reader taking time out of their Saturdays to read this. I know it was dark but I also hope it was satisfying as well. We have one more chapter so stick around.**

**Next week: THE EPILOUGE!**

**Have a good one!**


	6. Chapter 6 – Epilogue

Chapter 6 – Epilogue

_Bubbles' POV_

…Tick…

…Tick…

…Tick…

The yellowed clock beat a monotonous rhythm in the plain, white tiled room. The space was mostly empty save three chairs made from some sort of recycled plastic. They were sore on the eyes and even sorer on her behind.

Bubbles grimaced as she shifted in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. There wasn't one. Obviously this place didn't care much for the comfort of its visitors.

Not that this place probably go that many visitors.

A sigh passed through her lips as she drummed on of her heels nervously on the floor. The clock seemed to move at a snail's pace as she watched it tick away. Why did this always seem to take forever? And why was she so nervous about it anyway?

It wasn't like this was the first time she had visited or been forced to wait in these torture machines called 'chairs'. This was only the latest of a dozen unsuccessful attempts she had made so far, and much like the others, probably doomed to failure.

Shaking the thought from her head, Bubbles forced herself to take a deep breath and release it slowly. She really needed to calm her racing heart down, there was nothing to worry about. She was just being overly silly like usual. Everything would turn out fine.

"Ma'am?"

The silence was broken abruptly by a voice off to her left. It sent the blonde flying up out of her seat by a good three inches. The squished chair padding did nothing to cushion the impact as she landed back down with an 'oomph!'

Bubbles once again tried to calm her racing heart as she pushed herself to her feet and looked towards the voice.

It belonged to a young looking man dressed in a clean and freshly pressed uniform. His features were unfamiliar to her despite her previous visits so she assumed he must have been relatively new.

Stepping out from behind the heavy metal door, he waved her towards the hallway beyond. "Everything's ready now, I'm here to escort you."

The Blue Puff nodded and took a moment to smooth out the wrinkles from her plaid skirt. There was nothing she could do about her crumpled blouse but she figured it didn't really matter much. Not with where she was anyway.

Moving forward, she offered the man a smile as he stepped aside and held open the door for her. He returned the gesture with a polite smile of his own but…she couldn't help but notice the way he avoided looking at the right side of her face.

It was a gesture that she was unfortunately becoming familiar with. In the last six month she could probably count on one hand the number of people who could actually look her in the eyes and not flinch away or avert their gaze and pray she hadn't noticed.

But she did, she always noticed.

Letting the smile fall from her face, Bubbles stepped through the doorway and started down the narrow hall. The uniformed man followed a step behind her, probably so he wouldn't have to look at her face.

…That was a snide thought, much more callous than she usually had. But it wasn't like she was the same old Bubbles she used to be. It wasn't like she blamed people for the way they regarded her now a days.

It wasn't their fault they didn't know how to deal with her change in appearance. She'd probably react the same way if she was in their shoes. That thought, while true, didn't make the situation any easier to deal with.

It was a constant day to day struggle to keep that listing smile plastered on her face every time she saw someone flinch away from her or whisper behind her back. And if she were honest, it hurt too.

Oh, she managed to keep up appearances well enough, tried to tell herself that it would get better soon. That the locals were still in shock but with time the looks would fade and someone somewhere would finally be able to look her in the eyes, both of them. The left one, bright and shining sky blue, and the right, covered in a milky sheen that dulled from its natural color to a muddied gray.

…

Ugh, there she was, doing that stupid self-pity thing again. Darn, when had she become so selfish?

She shouldn't even be focusing on this right now. There were other matters to deal with, like the one before her. At the thought, a wave of nervous butterflies erupted in her stomach and made her swallow hard.

On second thought, maybe avoiding _that_ topic wasn't such a bad idea. Back to her previous thought pattern.

No matter how people regarded her now a days, there was no sense crying about it. It couldn't be changed so she was just going to have to learn to live with it. Well…technically she supposed it could be changed, but that was a step she wasn't quite ready for yet.

Reconstructive face surgery was a risky procedure for normal humans, filled with months of recovery and the ever present possibility of more harm being done than good. Trying to perform that type of surgery on a super human was new and uncharted territory.

Could surgeons even managed to get through the first few seconds of the operation before her healing factor kicked in and repaired the damage they did? If not, was there a way to temporarily dampen her powers to make it possible? There probably was, but at what cost?

The only she knew that could do such a thing wouldn't only dampen her powers but take them away for good.

Bubbles grimaced at the thought. The left side of her face formed what most considered a cute, little pout, the right side however, hung unnaturally still. The fading scars on her cheek masked the lack of reaction somewhat, but it couldn't completely hide the fact that those muscles were completely dead.

Paralyzed to be more accurate.

Even after six months, Bubbles found the truth hard to swallow. She was a Powerpuff girl! She had super powers that included but were not limited to: super speed, super strength, super durability, and super _healing_.

She thought one of those powers would have protected her from something like this. Seven months ago, she didn't even know they could _get_ scars. Let alone life altering paralysis. The Professor had tried to explain it all to her numerous times before but she still didn't get it.

All she knew was that her powers hadn't been able to fix her face. They had knitted all her bones back together and healed pulled muscles and cut tendons, but the crushed bone of her cheek proved too much to reconstruct.

It was a lumpy, disfigured plane now, transforming her once cherub like face into something that more resembled Quasimodo than an angelic figure. It would be a constant reminder of her beating at the hands of the Rowdyurffs and just how weak and vulnerable she truly was.

Every time she looked in the mirror or someone avoided her stare, she'd think of it. And _everyone_ avoided her stare these days…everyone except Buttercup that was.

Bless her sister. The brunette was the only one who wouldn't flinch or look away when Bubbles talked to her. Even the Professor couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. In all honestly, Buttercup was the sole reason she was still sane after all these months of recovery.

She was the only one who actually treated her like a real person, not some cancer patient that was too fragile to touch or a monster that could spread her disease by sight. No one had ever said that to her but that's how the blonde felt.

If only everyone could be as accepting as her sister, wouldn't that make life a whole lot easier?

Bubbles smirked mournfully at thought and shook her head. This was probably not the best mindset to sink into before her meeting. Pushing it from her mind, the blonde focused on the long stretch of hallway laid out before her.

The bright lights overhead illuminated every inch of the corridor, making it glow with artificial light. It was a frail attempt to portray a clean and friendly environment, none of which applied to this place.

All it took was a closer look to see cracks lining the baseboards of the chips in the tile. Maybe even some faded bloodstains? Bubbles grimaced again as she stepped over the faint mark and continued on her way.

If she had to guess, it must have been _decades_ since any money ahd been funneled into renovating this place. Heck, it probably hadn't been renovated at all. Of course, what was the point? This wasn't some get away spa or fancy hotel after all.

It was a prison, plain and simple. It was meant to keep harden criminal scum locked away from society, not cater to their sensibilities.

….Still, a little pickle could have gone a long way.

As they walked along, the guard kept a diligent pace behind her, ready to offer directions if need be. There wasn't any need though. After all her trips here, Bubbles knew the route by heart now. It wasn't like it was all that hard to remember anyway.

This hallway ran straight all the way to the end. She could already see the door that was to be her destination. Each step she took drew her closer to the person waiting within, the conversation that could change everything…or nothing at all.

Again, that darn heart of hers sped up at the thought. Here she was once more, trying to get the one person in the world who hated her guts to open up to her. People would call her crazy but they didn't get the fact that she might be the only person who he would do so with.

It was a long shot, but he didn't have anyone else and Bubbles couldn't stand the thought of him being stuck in there alone. No matter how much animosity lay between them or how unsuccessful her previous attempts had been.

Maybe today would be different? Just maybe…things could change? She didn't know, but she was going to try.

"We're here Ma'am."

Indeed they were.

Bubbles looked at the wooden door in front of her with apprehension. It was rather plain, completely at odds with what awaited her behind it. The blonde let her eyes travel the faded grain patterns etched into its surface as she attempted to calm her racing pulse.

This was it.

The uniformed man pulled open the door and shot the occupant inside a dirty look. "I'll be waiting right out here if you need anything Ma'am. If he pulls anything funny just give a shout."

"I don't think that will be necessary officer but thank you." Bubbles offered him a soothing smile as she stepped past him and entered the room.

The door shut behind her with a grim finality and Bubbles was left alone with the one person in the world who was most like her yet, at the same time, completely different. Sitting on the other side of the metal table, with arms handcuffed together, was Boomer.

The orange prison dress clashed horribly with his golden locks and the deep ocean blue of his eyes. His sullen glare did nothing to brighten the dreary air hanging about him. The blond didn't even look up as she closed the door and took a seat across the table from him.

He looked almost exactly like he had from the last time she had visited him. A bit scruffier maybe but the furrow to his brow and the surly cast of his mouth were much the same.

They reminded her strongly of his two brothers which was not the most pleasant of resemblances given her last encounter with those two. She liked it much better when he smiled, like he had when they were children and things hadn't been so messed up between them.

Rifling through her purse, Bubbles pulled out a small bag of cookies and set it directly in the middle of the table top. "These are for you. They're fresh, just baked them this morning and they're pretty darn delicious if I do say so myself."

Bubbles leaned back and nibbled on her lip as she waited for him to respond, but he didn't even raise his head to acknowledge her presence. She expected as much.

In all her previous visits, not once had he lifted his gaze from the floor to look at her. It had hurt her feelings at first, made her think that maybe she was wrong in coming here and trying these stupid attempts at conversation. But now, it just ticked her off.

The blonde had been at this for the last three months, ever since she had been given permission to leave the house. The least her counterpart could do was acknowledge she existed.

"Not much has really changed since the last time I visited you Boomer." Bubbles said, shoving down her irritation and putting on a cheerful mask.

"I finally got permission from the Professor to fight crime again. It's taken forever but he finally gave me the go ahead last week. Ugh, I'm so rusty though and it's been so long. I'm not even sure I remember how to do it."

That was the truth of the matter. She had tried to handle a simple gang fight just the other day and nearly botched the whole thing up. If hadn't been for Buttercup sticking with her, who knows how it would have ended. Probably with bullet holes.

"Thankfully Buttercup's been with me every step of the way." She told him with a real smile. "She's really been pulling double duty, taking care of me and Townsville while still handling her other responsibilities around the world. Just the other day, she was called out to Spain for some monster attack. Nothing major but you know… I'm not sure where she gets the energy for all of it."

Boomer continued to sit mutely across from her, not moving a muscle.

"I certainly wouldn't be able to do it. I can barely take down a bank robber without breaking a sweat. The Professor says I'm going to have to take it easy for a while. You'd think six months is enough time for someone like us to recover but…"

Bubbles trailed off with a grimace as she realized what she had just said. That was _not_ something she wanted to bring up or even mention. Reminding him of the very thing he had lost… Curse her ramblings, Blossom had always told her she tended to say too much when she was nervous.

Biting down on her lip, the blonde glanced at her counterpart but found him in the exact same state. Not even a slip of the tongue could get a reaction from this guy. He just sat there, like he always did, week after week.

It was the same old routine and honestly, she was reaching the end of her rope. Something had to change or she just might contemplate giving up this crazy venture.

He didn't deserve her time or effort. If she was being harsh, he didn't deserve to even be in the same room with her, not after what he and his brothers put her through. Buttercup had been telling her for months to stop trying, to give up on him and forget…but Bubbles couldn't do that.

For some reason, she felt drawn towards the blond across from her. He had no one left and it was her sisters who had put him here, like this. She couldn't help but feel partially guilty for that. She knew perfectly well that she had a bleeding heart that tended to lend itself to any hopeless causes, but she didn't think that was the case here.

This wasn't a hopeless cause, she genuinely felt like she could reach Boomer. If only he'd let her in.

…Maybe it was time to switch tactics? Blossom had told her once that the best move to make when you were stuck was something completely out of the norm. Maybe she should stop dancing around the obvious issue between the two of them and confront the elephant in the room?

There had never been a proper time to bring up the events of six months ago, so she had avoided it. Bubbles would come in here week after week and talk about the most random of things, but never about the incident that changed both of their fates.

It never seemed appropriate, maybe it never would.

…Maybe she just needed to spit it out anyways? It was better than sitting here in silence. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? Him getting mad and yelling at her? At least that would make him speak.

Okay, deep breath…here goes nothing.

"…It's been six months already…to the day in fact." Bubbles uttered quietly as she looked down at her soft blue painted finger nails. The little white polka dots on them became fascinating as she waited for some sort of reaction.

And she did get one, but not the one she was expecting.

Boomer didn't glare at her or even look up for that matter. Instead, he grew unnaturally still. How that was possible since he wasn't moving beforehand, she didn't know but it _was_ a reaction. That was more than she had gotten from him before so she figured she might as well press onwards.

"It's kind of hard to believe isn't it? It feels a lot longer, like years since Blossom wa-….was taken from me…" A lump worked its way up her throat at the thought of her departed sister.

Taken. Heh, even now, she couldn't work up the courage to say the proper word for it. It still hurt too much, she suspected it always would. How could it not?

Blossom had been more than just a sister to her. They were a part of each other, and Buttercup too. Together, they were whole. With one of them missing…it was like a gaping hole had been torn into her spirit and nothing would ever sew it back up. Thank goodness Buttercup had survived otherwise Bubbles didn't think she'd have lasted this long.

A rough sound shocked the blonde out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to recognize it as a dry, throaty chuckle. With eyes wide in astonishment, Bubbles looked up to see a smirk on Boomer's lips as he shook softly with laughter.

"...Taken huh? Well ain't that a pansy ass way to describe being killed." He grunted, his voice raspy with disuse.

"Maybe it is a pansy way, but saying she was killed is so, so…" Bubbles trailed off, tears burning her eyes.

The blond across from her scoffed cruelly as he kept his eyes glued to the floor. "Final? Newsflash Puff, **it is final**. Killing is the end. Ain't nothing else too it."

The finality in his voice hit her hard. It shouldn't have, she knew that what death meant and the repercussions it brought with it, she had been dealing with it for months! But hearing him say it out loud was…_different_. Saying it so bluntly, it was like the final nail in the coffin.

Blossom was dead and she wasn't coming back.

Fighting back her tears, Bubbles clenched her fists in her lap and narrowed her eyes at Boomer. "How can you be so casual about all this? People are dead, _you're brothers_ _are dead_. And you're treating it like an everyday occurrence. Don't you have any feelings at all?"

"Feelings? _Hah!_ I've got feelings alright, tons of 'em." Finally lifting his eyes from the floor, her counterpart looked at her head on with a scowl twisting his lips.

A cold anger burned past the apathy lacing those ocean blue eyes. The look on Boomer's face was enough to send her heart up into her throat. It was the same look he had given her that horrible day six months ago, where she had been enjoying a lovely public arts festival only to have it turn into the worst defeat she had ever suffered.

Unbidden those memories dragged themselves up out of the pit she had shoved them into and hit her full force. Despite her best attempts not too, Bubbles felt herself shrink back from him. She could still remember that day clearly, the fear that had gripped her then.

It was there now.

Staring at her coldly, Boomer set his cuffed hands flat on the table and leaned towards her. "I _feel_ completely and utterly humiliated! I'm trapped in this fucking prison like some dirty mongrel, for the rest of my horrid life!"

It was probably the most heated tone she had ever heard from the blond man, it was certainly the most dangerous.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be absolutely powerless?! To be left here to rot like some discarded piece of trash! It's- it's! **Gah! **If only your damn sister had finished what she started and killed me to along with my brothers!" He shoved himself away from the table and stood to his feet.

His next statement came out at barely a whisper but Bubbles still managed to catch it. "Better to be dead that left powerless."

Silence fell heavily on the room as Bubbles sat there completely rooted in shock. She had never heard such an outburst from Boomer like that before. She didn't even know he was capable of such a thing. He had always been so happy as a kid despite his violent tendencies. Now a days he was mostly just silent.

This dark anger was something she wasn't prepared for. It scared her witless but also…it made her sad. There was a tortured quality to his words beneath all that scathing rage, a pain that couldn't be hidden. It was a pain she could relate too, a self-loathing that was universal no matter what your creed or alignment.

Pure and simple, Boomer hated himself.

That wasn't as shocking a discovery as it sounded. Perhaps she had already known deep down inside. She had felt similar emotions herself in the recent months. The nagging "what ifs" and "how could I have changed this" that plagued the mind after such a terrible fallout.

Boomer finally seemed to realize he had broken his vow of silence. The blond unclenched his fists and sat heavily back down on his chair, diverting his eyes back to the floor. His shoulders sagged as a sigh escaped through his lips.

As quickly as the anger had come, it was gone. Replacing it was…something. An emotion that Bubbles had trouble recognizing. The fear holding her slowly loosened its vice grip on her throat as she watched her counterpart sit there morosely.

He looked…defeated. Completely and utterly so. The despair written on his face was particularly heartbreaking to witness. She had known that kind of despair, it was the same she had felt when she was told Blossom had been…killed.

The stark reflection of her own emotions staring back at her tugged at the blonde's heartstrings. It didn't matter that this man in front of her was a villain, or that he had done terrible things. He was hurting inside, _really_ hurting…and that was just something Bubbles couldn't bear to witness in _anyone._

Minutes ticked past until finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "…This-…this is all my fault." She whispered.

Boomer's head snapped up as he chocked in disbelief. "Wha? _What?!_ How in the world could you even think that? Your fault? You were freaking unconscious for everything!"

The fact that he had even responded back was amazing, but telling her she was wrong? That was completely mind blowing. Wasn't he supposed to hate her? If so, why would he say something like that?

Shrugging a shoulder, Bubbles looked down at her clasped hands. "If I had been awake, maybe I could have stopped Blossom and Buttercup before they went through with their revenge plan. Maybe I could have persuaded them to something less…extreme, something that would have left everyone alive instead."

Shame welled up inside her, bringing with it another wave of tears. She really did believe what she said. If she had been awake, she _knew_ she could have stopped this from happening. Blossom would have listened to her. She just _knew _it.

But she hadn't been awake. She had failed everyone and now was left with the consequences of her weakness.

"Don't be stupid."

Blinking up in astonishment, Bubbles watched as Boomer shifted uncomfortably. "…We both know none of this was your fault, it was mine and my brothers. There was nothing you could have done to stop us."

He took a deep breath and turned his head towards her, giving the right side of her face a meaningful look. "We started this and everyone paid the price."

He glanced away again, his shoulders slumping even further.

It took her a moment to realize he had just admitted his guilt. It took her another moment to get over the fact that he actually _felt_ guilty. It was another shocking revelation that sideswiped her today. Nothing was turning out like she had thought it would but maybe that was for the best.

…Maybe he wasn't wholly the villain she thought he was?

Clearing her throat, Bubbles fixed her counterpart with the bravest stare she could muster. "…Yes, we did pay the price for your mistakes…"

He cringed at her words, a grimace taking over his face

"…but it was my sisters' mistakes as well. You and your brothers may have started this whole thing, but Blossom and Buttercup escalated it. All of us were wrong….all of us are guilty."

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. There was a small gleam of something in those blue orbs, understanding? Acceptance? She didn't know, but what she did know was that what she said was the truth.

Everyone was to blame and this horrible outcome was their punishment.

The two of them stayed quiet for a time, letting the meaning behind her words sink it. She wasn't sure where to go from here. She had said what needed to be said and was now at a complete loss as to what to do next.

Wasn't that rich? The effervescent Blue Puff had no idea what to say? When was the last time she had been stuck in this sort of situation? As she sat there, quietly thinking on her next move, Boomer broke the silence.

"…I didn't want for any of this to happen you know." He whispered so quietly that she almost didn't catch it.

His statement should have caught her off guard, but again, it didn't. Perhaps she had already known that fact too. He might have been evil, but she sensed there was more to him than that. Maybe there was some sense of good underneath that corruption?

There had to be, otherwise he wouldn't have admitted his guilt. No one was truly evil, not even the Rowdyruff Boys. Bubbles believed that with all her heart.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde put on her kindest smile. "…I know Boomer."

He blinked in astonishment. Looking up, he caught her eyes for the second time that day. She noticed that unlike all the others, he didn't avoid the right side of her face. He didn't flinch or avoid staring at the mangled flesh.

He just looked at her, like it didn't even exist.

"That doesn't change anything though doesn't it?" He whispered. "I can't forgive your sisters for what they did to me and they can't forgive me for what I did to you…any more than you can forgive me."

…Was that? Did he just…? No, he couldn't have…but the quality of his voice. Bubbles searched his eyes as he stared back at her. Their former state of apathy was nowhere to be seen. His emotions and thoughts were laid out bare before her.

And in them, Bubbles found the answer to her question.

"Boomer." His cuffed hands balled up into fists. "…I do forgive you."

That single phrase almost knocked him off his chair. The blond swayed like he had been hit with a punch as he gaped openly at her. Then the shock wore off and anger flashed across his face. Shoving himself to his feet, he looked at her accusingly.

"How can you _say _that?! How could you _ever _forgive _**me?!**_ You shouldn't! I beat you remember?! I made you look like _**that**_, for the rest of your life! It's because of me and my brothers that your sister is dead. You should hate me!"

Leaning in close, he fixed her with an incredulous glare. "But instead you come by, week after week, with fucking cookies! _**Why?!**_ Why do you do this?! _Why don't you hate me like I hate you?!"_

The door to the hallways slammed open as the prison guard who escorted her here burst inside. "What the hell's going on in here?! **You!** Back in you damn seat or I'm calling the warden! Are you alright Miss? Did he hurt you?

Concern warred with anger on the guards face as he switched between glaring at Boomer and looking at her. His hand rested on the taser resting on his belt and if things didn't calm do soon, Bubbles was certain that it would be pulled out. These guys didn't play around with former super villains.

The Blue Puff held up her hand as she stood up between her counterpart and the jumpy officer. "It's alright, everything is fine. We were just having a discussion."

The guard narrowed his eyes at Boomer with suspicion. "That was some discussion then. Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

The Blue Ruff huffed quietly as he sat himself back down in his chair. This helped eased the tense atmosphere as the guard relaxed in response. His hand slow lifted from his taser and after a moment, he switched his gaze back to her.

"Yes, everything is completely fine and under control. Thank you."

He didn't seem convinced but even so, he offered her a nod. "Alright, but I need to inform you that vising time is almost over Ma'am."

"Already?" Bubbles couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice as she let her hand drop to her side.

They were making headway today, there was so much progress. And now it was going to be cut short. Darn it all.

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh alright. I'll be out in a minute." Bubbles said with sigh.

The guard took one last look at the sole criminal in the room before giving her a nod and exiting out the door. It shut with a soft click, giving them a little privacy for their goodbyes.

Bubbles stood there for a moment, observing her counterpart as he sat stoically in the chair across the table from her. His question burned in her mind. It was something she herself didn't even understand.

Why didn't she hate him?

"…I can't answer your question Boomer."

His head lifted at the sound of his name. Cobalt blue eyes met sky and milky blue as they looked at each other.

"I don't know how. All I know is that I can't hate you. It's just not me. Even though you've done awful things…I, I think there's good inside you. There has to be. And that makes me want to help. It's just that simple."

"Nothing's that simple." He muttered in reply.

The only response she had for him was a soft shrug. "Maybe sometimes…it is? Besides, no one should be left alone."

His head turned away from her again, as if in shame. She might have pushed a little too hard with that last one. But what was done was done and what was said was said. There was no going back.

Grimacing to herself, Bubbles pushed her chair back underneath the table and reached out to pick up the bag of cookies still left there. Her hand came to a halt barely an inch away as a tiny voice spoke up.

"Coul-…could you leave them?...Please?"

The Blue Puff smiled softly at her counterpart even though he couldn't see it. His face was firmly fixated towards the floor and he wasn't looking up any times soon.

But that was alright.

Turning towards the door, Bubbles opened it up and stepped outside. The guard cocked his head in silent question to which the blonde smiled in response. He snapped the door closed and locked it back up before motioning her back down the hallway.

As they walked back to the small waiting room, Bubbles thought over the encounter between Boomer and her. It had gone better than she had expected. More than better. That Rowdyruff might have been a villain, but he was also a human being.

And every human deserved a second chance at life.

As Bubbles stepped out of the prison building and into the warm sunshine, she couldn't help but smile at the beauty around her. It had been a long, tortured six months, but she had a feeling the next six months would be turning out much better.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! A Vendetta to be Paid is officially finished! Hoozah for my first finished story that isn't a one shot! *Throws confetti* Today is a good day. **

**I am sorry this chapter came sort of late, I had a bit of trouble writing it. I re-wrote the whole thing three times. Capturing the emotion in here was a hard thing for me to do. I wanted that forgiveness from Bubbles but I didn't want to hand it out without reason. I wanted to show everyone that her kindness has the strength to overcome her heart break. I'm not sure I succeeded but I gave it my best shot and that's all I can do. **

**I hope everyone enjoyed this little story of mine and it made you feel something because that's what stories are all about. Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate everyone's comments and reviews. You are the best! **

**Thank you to Librana for the follow and favorite!**

**On now on to the final installment of Reviewer Recognition:**

**Ghost501: Cool, I'm glad that you enjoyed the fights and the ending was alright with you. As for the short thing, yeah it is short in chapters but I like my chapters to be weighty. I think if I'm going to take a week to update, the least I can do is give my readers something worth it you know? The word count got way higher than I originally anticipated but compared to my other story, it was pretty darn short. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the story and I'm glad you liked the ending even though Blossom died. Thank you for your readership!**

**Scourge: Sorry Scourge, I said it was going to be dark and I meant it. I had to get it out of my system before it infected Misconceptions. Better for the dark tragic death to happen in here no? Thanks for following this story and I hope you enjoyed the relatively short ride. Your reviews have been awesome to read each week! :D Thank you!**

**kidstandout: Thank you, I've always wanted to write a story where the main character dies. I like my happy endings but I also like some realism and let's face it, some Puff had to die. **

**You do make some very good points and I agree with you on some of it. I know I took the girls into the OC realm with this fic but honestly, I'm okay with that. If I had more time and wasn't pumping out chapters as fast as possible, I probably would have planned it better and made the plot less flimsy. But for the time frame in which I thought up, wrote out, and completed A Vendetta to be Paid, I think it worked out well. I'll just have to make sure that my plot with Misconception keeps up to snuff. If it doesn't, call me out! **

**Oh! And for the Antidote X stuff, I did not know the difference between poisonous and venomous so thank you for taking the time to explain it. I won't lie, I knew I fudged up the effects of Antidote X with this fic since the beginning but again, I'm okay with that. I needed something to help push the plot and this was the first thing that popped into my mind. So I rolled with it. A bit cheap? Maybe. But it worked.**

**Thank you very much for bringing it up! I really appreciated the discussion. It will definitely have me thinking about where I take Misconceptions in the future and how I use stuff in it. :D Thanks for the reviews and your readership! I appreciate it!**

**ROC95: Ah, sorry I made you sad. I hope this chapter nullifies the last, if only a bit. Life goes on. Thanks so much for taking the time to check this story out and always leaving a review! You rock!**

**Rose Verdict: Haha! Yes indeed, I thought you'd like the fights. Glad it was to your satisfaction. And yes, if you're going to lose then you best take out someone with you! Thanks for reading the story and reviewing! **

**TheWonderfulWorldOfJazz: It makes me very happy to hear I caught you off guard with that. I was hoping for it but then again I tend to telegraph these type of things. Well, I'm glad you liked the story and took the time to review. I hope it was a fun ride and that this epilogue was satisfying. Ciao!**

**Lily: Cause I'm sadistic like that. Poor Blossom, but she had to die. At least the other two Puffs lived right? And you got your Blues this chapter…sorta…Okay, so that's a poor conciliation prize but hey *shrug* I tried? Anyway, I'm sorry that this was one of the saddest stories you have read and it made you cry. Not exactly a wonderful anniversary celebration fic but I liked it none the less. I hope this chapter helped you like it to ;) Thanks so much for following the story and leaving so many reviews Lily! They brought a smile to my face.**

**Anon: Thank you very much! I could totally agree with the limbo comment by the way. Maybe in some nether verse she is? **

**THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! I really appreciated everyone who took the time to read this story. If you didn't leave a review, that's totally cool! If you did, thanks a whole **_**bunch**_**. This was a nice little experiment for me and I can confidently say…**

**I'M NEVER WRITING TWO STORIES AT THE SAME TIME **_**AGAIN!**_

**Oh it was hard…but satisfactory. If you liked this story or my writing style, be sure to check out my other fic "Misconceptions" It's quite a bit longer and a lot more happy than this story. So please, give it try! **

**Thanks guys! Have a good one.**


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